New Beginnings
by bubbles526
Summary: Garcia is leaving the FBI. But maybe there are more surprises for her from the BAU team.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One: The End and the Beginning**

"So, uh…" he hurries to take a drink of cold water, then takes a quick breath, his other hand consciously in his jeans pocket, hoping for a casual, not-at-all-nervous look. He'd been trying to approach her for weeks now. "I was thinking since we not gonna be working together anymore, that uh…maybe I could take you to dinner."

Garcia's eyes widen. Was the hot newbie seriously asking her out?! _I must be imagining things. C'mon Penelope…why wouldn't he be asking you out? Well, he's not really my type…and we're always working a case, so we probably would get interrupted by a call from Emily and- __**Hey!**_ That inner voice shouted. _We already gave our notice, remember. And you are the self proclaimed Oracle of all things known and not known…who wouldn't want to take you out to dinner? __**ANSWER **__the man!_

"Yeah." She nodded in case he suddenly couldn't understand her.

"Yeah?" His smile deepened, showing off that dimple that she always loved to see.

"Yeah." _C'mon Garcia...you can do better than that. _ "We'll eat. Yeah." _Well, obviously not. We'll work on it._ The inner voice rolled their imaginary eyes.

Luke nodded, "Cool."

Penelope hurriedly took a drink of her water. "Um…so, I guess you'll have your new computer tech later on in the week."

Luke nodded. "Yeah, yeah." He nodded towards the lawn where their friends and co workers were dancing like fools. He gave her a quick side glance and grin before bumping her hip with his own slightly. "Guess I won't be the rookie anymore, huh?"

Garcia laughed out loud. "True." She stopped walking and turned towards Luke. "I have to admit, you've put up with that long enough. You've proven yourself to the team…and me…more times than I can count."

Luke gave her a warm smile and stepped just a little closer. "Well, I admit, it was nice knowing you were at least thinking about me."

Penelope felt her cheeks start to get warm. "Of course I do-did-still do. I mean, I think about the entire team when there's a case."

"Yeah, but admit it…you like calling me and trading verbal spars."

"Whatever Newbie." She stepped back just a little to get some air…why was it so hot in here…wait. They were outside and the cool spring air was all around them.

Luke laughed and grabbed her hand, leading her back onto the dance floor. "C'mon Ms. Garcia…Let's see some more of those dance moves."

"…So instead of a toast, I want to make a promise. Can we please promise that no matter where we go after this, that we keep this feeling in our hearts? Cheers!"

The crowd cheered and a chorus of "Salut!" rang out. Luke raised his glass. He caught Penelope's gaze and smiled while lifting his glass to her in his own silent toast.

Prentiss stood up from the table. "Wheels up."

"Wait, we got a new one?" Matt asked.

"Yep, and this will be her maiden voyage," answered Prentiss.

Rossi smiled. "I love the smell of new jet in the morning. Garcia blinked a few times as all her friends stood and hurried out of the room. This was it. Her team had a case and she would be starting her new job by the time they returned. Everyone stopped to give her a hug. Luke smiled and whispered in her ear quietly: "I'll call you as soon as I can." He gave her a squeeze and stepped away so the rest of the team could say goodbye.

She followed everyone through the bullpen, the team grabbing their go bags and heading towards the elevator. The doors opened and everyone except for Penelope filed into the elevator. She gave a little wave as the doors started to close. Luke flashed her a brief smile and head nod.

Then, they were gone. She walked back to her lair. The only thing left on her desk was a stack of pink post-it notes and her trusty unicorn pen. She thought for a second, then smiled. The next person to take over this room and help her friends would have a day when they would need a little encouragement. She jotted down a note, then folded the note and tucked it between the desks, where it would be found one day. She left the pen on the desk…they would need a little magic to start this job. She took a breath and turned to leave, a smile on her face.

She walked back to the conference room and started to clean up from the tea and pastries. A knock sounded on the door. "Ms Garcia? There's a video conference for you."

"Me? But I'm not supposed to be working anymore cases."

The FBI agent shrugged. "It wasn't a private line, so you should be able to view in here."

Penelope walked over to a monitor and pulled up the call. Kevin's face filled the monitor.

"Kevin?"

"Hey Penelope! How are you?"

"I…I'm fine. I thought you were in Seattle now."

He nodded. "I am…but I heard you were leaving the FBI."

"Yeah… I'm going to be working nearby, but without all the horror and gory pictures."

Kevin nodded, his face suddenly serious. "Yeah, I can understand that. I'm surprise the team let you go."

She shrugged. "Their family. They want what's best for me."

"Yeah, they always looked out for you, that's for sure."

She looked around the room briefly. "So, uh, how did you find out?"

"Eh, you were always the best, but even I have a few tricks up my cyber sleeves. Plus Gina in accounting let me know."

"You're still talking to Gina? I thought you met someone out there."

"Um…Yeah, but Gina knew how close you and I are—were."

Penelope smiled. "Well thank you for checking up on me. It's good to see you."

Kevin nodded. "Yeah, well, maybe after you get settled in, you might want to catch a flight and come visit. We don't always have rainy days, you know."

Penelope laughed a little at the slight joke. "Maybe. I think I'll have my hands full with this new position, but I'll let you know."

"Okay. Well, good luck. Keep in touch, yeah?"

"Definitely. Thanks Kevin. Take care."

She closed the video window.

She walked out to the bull pen, looking around. Others still worked busily, but four desks were obviously empty. The first two office doors upstairs closed. _Such a long way from that first interview with Hotch_, she thought. _Who knew how far that homemade pink stationary would take me?_

She walked back into the lobby, waiting for the elevator.


	2. Chapter 2

_Thank you for all of the great reviews. It's been awhile since I posted anything on here, but I was inspired by the finale. I'd love to hear what you think about this next chapter. _

**Chapter 2**

"Yes, those two monitors need to be mounted on that wall. No! Wait! You can't run that software on this system!" Penelope sighed and sank down into her desk chair. This was her fourth day at her new job, and she was still struggling to get her office set up and functional. She watched while the technicians finished setting up her main workstation and the monitors were secured. Once they finished, she would start checking all the hardware and software programs. Luckily the foundation was already running on a paperless system.

Her intercom buzzed quietly. "Ms. Garcia? There's a Derek Morgan on hold for you. Line 2."

She pressed a button on the phone. "Thank you, Sandy." She put on her headset. "Penelope Garcia."

"Baby girl. What have they done to you sweetness?" The deep rich tone of his voice washed over her in a blanket of comfort.

"Nothing. Why?"

"You have never answered any call from me with a simple 'Penelope Garcia'. What happened to the Office of Supreme Genius? The Oracle of Quantico?"

"Oh, she's still here…but being in charge means I had to up my professional game in some respects." She smiled as she smoothed down her polka dot dress with ruffles. Thank goodness that FBI dress code no longer applied.

"Well don't let them try to change you too much. I'd hate to have to come over there and have to hurt a few stiff shirts."

"Liar. You've probably already have an infiltration planned out in that tactical mind of yours."

Morgan laughed. "Touché Baby Girl…touché."

"Awww…you know I love it when you speak French to me."

"Ha! I knew you couldn't go long without a few teases."

"How did you find me? I didn't even call you yet."

"Rossi."

She shook her head. "That man is seriously more of a gossip than…than…ME!"

"Aww now…let's not go too far. You know you're still the Queen." He waited a beat then, in a more serious tone, "So, why didn't you let me know you were leaving?"

Penelope sighed again. "I…I was going to…I just wanted to get a little settled here first. Besides, you were already gone. I wouldn't really be telling you goodbye."

"True. But if I'd known you were looking, I could have put in a good word for you here. Maybe find a teaching position here for new tech analysts."

"Yeah, I thought about that…but…I'd still have some of the same problems. The pictures…. the darkness."

Morgan was quiet. Finally, he asked quietly, "How bad are they?"

"How bad are who?"

"The dreams Penelope. Stop playing. I want to know how bad they've gotten."

Penelope turned to look out her window. It faced the park outside… cherry trees just starting to bloom and people enjoying the warm spring air.

"I'm ok. They are getting better…but…" she drew in a shaky breath. "I've been having trouble…nightmares…insomnia… I couldn't stay much longer. I need to focus on the goodness of people…. give back more."

"Baby girl, you already give more than anyone I know."

"Yeah, I know…but…. I was never really meant to be a part of that world…not in that way. I mean, I'm proud of the team…of my part in helping to put so many of those psychos and sickos in prison…and if we were lucky, we even saved some of the lucky victims…. "Her voice trailed off as she got lost in her thoughts.

"Baby girl, you were a huge part of all of those successes. We wouldn't have been able to be as successful without you there, helping to piece together all of the puzzle."

They were quiet for a full minute. Then Derek changed the subject. "So…now you are the Bossy Lady. Corner office? Secretary?"

"Secretary yes, but no corner office. I do have a nice window with a view."

"Good for you. And you researched the company?"

"Yes sir…You know it."

"I bet you did. Did you use your homemade pink paper for your resume too?"

"No, I switched it up to purple with glitter," she replied.

Morgan laughed again. "Of course. You know, Hotch said that was one of the main reasons he promoted you to the team."

"Yeah, he told me once."

"The other reason was because he saw your record. He figured anyone who could give the FBI, CIA and NSA the run-around was someone he needed on his side."

"Well, you know I can't confirm or deny any of that…. but I do know that I have him to thank for bringing you into my life."

"Me too Baby Girl."

"How's my godson?" she changed the subject.

"He's perfect. Driving his momma crazy but he has all of the girls at preschool under his charm."

"Just like his daddy."

"Ha…Maybe just a little. He does have better hair, though."

"I miss him. I haven't seen you all since Christmas Eve."

"Well... you know where we live…and have a key. You have an open invitation. Dinner's at 6."

"I will take you up on that…as soon as I get settled here. I'll take him out for a playdate with Aunt Penelope."

"He would love that. And you know Savannah and I would love to see you."

Penelope's eyes were already tearing up. She wiped at her cheeks. "Stop it. We aren't saying goodbye, remember?"

"Ok Garcia. OK. I'm going to let you go…get back to work."

"Hey, "she replied. "I love you, you know."

"I know Baby Girl. I love you too. Take care of yourself…and don't wait too long for that playdate."

She took off the headset and stared out the window, thinking about how lucky she was to have friends who became family.

Later that evening Penelope struggled carrying in two bags of groceries and unlocking the door to her apartment. Her cell phone starting ringing. "Wait, wait wait," she muttered. She finally pushed the door open and walked in towards the kitchen. She pulled her phone from her pocket and smiled.

"Well hello Mr. Alvez."

Luke chuckled. "I know, I should have called earlier…but I thought you would be busy the first couple of days at your new job."

"I am…but I'm glad you called. Is the team back home?"

"Just got back. Safe and sound Garcia."

Penelope sighed. "Good."

"In fact, I'm headed over towards your side of town now to pick up Roxy…want me to swing by and you can join me?"

Penelope didn't even have to think twice…. she loved his German Shepherd. "Of course!"

"Great. I should be there in about 20 minutes."

"See you then."

That would give her just enough tie to put away the groceries. She started pulling items out of the canvas bags.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

Penelope quickly checked the peep hole and unlocked the large wooden mission-style door.

"Hey!" She quickly opened her arms and gave Luke a hug.

"Well, hello to you too Garcia," Luke chuckles as he wrapped his arms around her, squeezing tightly.

Penelope breathed in deeply, saying a quick silent prayer that he returned safely. She knew there was always a risk of one of their cases being dangerous, and sometimes, more often than she cared to think about, life threatening.

She stepped back from their embrace, suddenly a little self-conscious. "Ok, let me just get my bag."

Luke held open the door for Penelope as she walked out, then turned to close and lock the door securely behind her. He placed his hand gently on her back as he led her through the courtyard and towards his SUV parked in front of the apartment building.

He opened the passenger door and waited until Penelope was seated in the car and closed her door. Once he walked around the SUV and got into the driver's seat, he started the engine and music immediately filled the cab.

Penelope grinned. "Getting your boy band fix?"

Luke laughed and shrugged. "Hey…give me a break…it's a satellite channel. I just was in the mood for some music…unwind a little."

He glanced over at her. "Feel free to change the channel if you want."

"Are you kidding? I love me some boy bands!" Penelope started tapping her hand on her leg, then softly humming along to the familiar tune. "I still think they should get back together…I mean, I know three of them have singles out, but still…"

Luke smiled.

"So how was the case?"

Luke shrugged. "You know…same old, same old. We caught him though."

Garcia looked over at Luke. "Right."

Luke glanced at her. "What?"

"Your cases are never 'same old, same old' Luke Alvez, and we both know it."

Luke sighed. "Ok, I agree. But I figured you didn't really want to know the details…just that we all are back safe, and the bad guy is in custody."

Garcia thought about that then nodded. "True," she said quietly.

Luke reached for her hand. "Hey. It's ok Garcia."

Penelope looked down at their hands, then back up at him. "Ok."

"So," Luke said a little more loudly, changing the subject," Roxy is going to be so excited to see you. She's always ramped up when I come pick her up to take her home."

"Do you still take her to the same kennel?"

"Yeah. My friend picks her up and brings her to his kennel…she loves it there. They have a huge pool they use in the summer and a big agility course the dogs can use. Danny was a K9 trainer in the Army…he still loves training dogs."

They chatted amicably the rest of the drive. Finally, Luke pulled into a long gravel driveway and stopped between the house and another large building. As they got out of the SUV a dark german shepherd barked once from the porch, then sat up, watching. Luke whistled and called out "Hey Maisy. How you doin' girl?" The dog's ears twitched, and she ran over to Luke, tail aging as she circled him, enjoying his pets and claps of his hands on her flanks.

"Good girl. Where's Danny girl? Hm?"

"Hey, quit flirting with my security," a voice yelled from the porch. A man in camo pants and a grey t-shirt walked down the few steps and over to where they were. "Good to see you Alvez."

Luke smiled. He shook the man's hand then turned to Penelope. "Penelope Garcia, this is Sergeant Daniel Burke."

Danny reached out to shake Penelope's hand. "Nice to meet you. Call me Danny. Luke here's told me a lot about you."

"Really?" Penelope replied, surprised.

Danny grinned. "Says you are a computer genius."

Penelope smiled brightly. "I have my moments."

Luke laughed. "Yeah, like twenty-four-seven."

The trio walked towards the other building, the sounds of dogs barking getting louder as they got closer. Maisy followed alongside of them, but sat down next to Danny when he paused at the door. "Wait here Maisy." He opened the door and gestured for Penelope and Luke to enter.

The door opened to a large room with various dog toys and benches. In one corner was a ball pit with various sizes of colorful balls.

"Oh wow! What a great place."

Danny smiled. "Thanks. We like to try and keep everyone entertained. You should see it when you get three or four of the dogs in the pit…They think they have died and gone to heaven."

Penelope looked around the room as she followed Danny towards a locked door. Once through, there were pens on either side of the long corridor. About half of the pens were occupied, with dogs of different sizes and breeds. She spied Roxy right away, her sleek black ears pricked back as she sat and watched the humans near her pen. Her tail wagged against the concrete floor, but she waited patiently.

Danny handed a set of keys to Luke and he stepped towards the pen to unlock the door. "Heya girl. Did you miss me?" As soon as Luke opened the door, Roxy ran out and started running circles around Luke's legs. He laughed as he petted and greeted her. Then Roxy looked up and saw Penelope and ran over to greet her too.

"Aw, How you doin' Rox? Long time no see girl." Penelope kneeled down and hugged the german shepherd.

She looked up and caught Luke smiling at her, his brown eyes warm with affection. She grinned back at him.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

_**Thank you for all of the positive reviews and follows. Sorry I took some time off, but thanks to the Corona Virus, it looks like I will have some more time for writing…in addition to making my very much hands-on high school courses into on line learning courses…hmmm….this should be interesting. For those parents now suddenly faced with home schooling…I'm saying a prayer for you. If you are like me and are a teacher suddenly having to revamp your curriculum to an online method…I'm with ya and feel the pain. I've always been pretty good maintaining an online portion of y classes, but its definitely going to be a challenge teaching knife skills, how to measure ingredients and teach recipe execution without having that hands-on experience. Plus, I haven't been able to SEE my students since early December…I was sick and had to take some time off. So I already have a hefty dose of cabin fever BEFORE all of this social distancing started. I did get to see my second year class a week ago Thursday…I popped in to give my sub a thank you card and small gift….the kids were so excited to see me and insisted on getting a group photo with me (AWWW). I worked the next day (it was a teacher workday/student holiday) and last week was our Spring Break. This morning was a real bummer to know that I would not get to see my classes and find out what they have been up to. Hopefully we can finish our year soon. In the meantime, everyone stay healthy and safe…and let me know what you think about Luke and Penelope's journey so far.**_

"Good Job Roxy!" Penelope clapped as she watched Luke and Roxy make their way through the agility course. Dan had turned on the flood lights so they call could watch Roxy run through the course. Roxy ran up one ramp and quickly down the other, her long legs stretching out. She zipped through the tunnel faster than even Luke could reach the other side.

Finally, Luke whistled and he and Roxy both jogged over to where Penelope and Dan were sitting on benches on the edge of the course. She smiled up at him and handed him a large bottle of water. He reached over for Roxy's travel bowl and poured half the water in it and gave it to Roxy before taking a long drink from the bottle himself.

"You two looked great out there," Penelope exclaimed.

"Roxy loves it. She could have been a great K9."

Dan nodded in agreement. He still helped some K9 partners and offered assistance in selecting good puppy candidates. "She's a clever one, for sure."

Roxy finished her water and laid down at Penelope's feet, panting hard after her run. Penelope bent over to give Roxy a good rub down. Luke smiled as he watched the two. "I brought some things for dan, I'm going to unload and then we can pack up Rox and head out, if that's okay with you."

"Sure. Do you need help?" Penelope looked up as she asked.

"Nah. Stay here and let Rox rest a little. I'll be right back." He nodded to Dan and they walked back towards the gravel driveway. They turned the corner and Dan glanced back at Garcia.

"So that's Garcia, hmm?"

"Yeah. She's something huh?" Luke answered

"Well, to be honest, the way you kept going on and on about "Garcia this" and "Garcia that", I kinda thought that she would be, well, different."

"What do you mean?"

Dan looked over at Luke before answering. "Jenni and I thought that Garcia was a guy. I even told her maybe you were…you know…"

Luke stopped walking and faced Dan, confused. "That I was what?"

"Gay."

Luke started laughing.

'Yeah, well, you just kept talking about "Garcia" …how was I to know?" Dan grumbled. "At least now I can tell Jenni she was right."

"Oh, well I'm glad your WIFE knows all my secrets…no like I fought with her in a war or anything." Luke teased.

"Yeah well…. why do you call Penelope by her last name anyways?"

Luke shrugged. "That's what she does by in the office. But I use her first name sometimes. It's not really a big deal, I guess."

Dan smiled. "Man do you have a lot to learn…when it comes to women, it's all a big deal. I bet she notices when you call her by her given name…especially if not everyone does."

Luke thought about it as they made their way into the storage shed.

Penelope leaned over from her seat on the single bench, petting Roxy and talking to the beautiful canine.

"You were amazing girl! I couldn't believe how fast you zipped up those stairs and flew down the ramp!"

The Belgian Malinois looked up, still slightly panting, but loving all the attention she was getting. Suddenly her ears pricked, and she sat up into a sitting position, her eyes watching carefully over Penelope's shoulder. Penelope watched as Roxie's tail started a small wag on the grass as the rest of her body remained perfectly still.

A whistle rang out from behind Penelope. She turned as Roxie took off at a sprint to join Luke and Dan. Roxie immediately fell into pace with Luke, looking up at her master occasionally as they made their way back to Penelope.

"Ready to go?" Luke asked cheerfully, offering his hand to help Penelope stand. She smiled back at him and accepted his hand. Once she was standing, she thought he would let go, but he kept holding it as they fell into step heading back to his SUV.

Luke opened the door and watched her climb into the SUV. He then whistled for Roxy and opened the rear passenger door. Roxy jumped inside and sat down with her head positioned between the two front seats. Luke closed the door and walked around the back of the truck to the driver's door. He lifted a hand to Dan and as he sat in the SUV pulled his seat belt around.

"How about some dinner" he asked.

Penelope looked back at Roxy before answering. "Well, it sounds great, but I wouldn't want to leave Roxy in here while we eat…"

Luke grinned. It wasn't every woman-or person- who would think of an animal before their own needs.

"Actually, I was thinking maybe we could pick up something instead of dining in… nothing fancy," he hurried to clarify.

Penelope smiled brightly. "Oh, well, sure!"

Luke started the engine and looked in the rearview mirror. "Roxy, back up." Roxy twitched her ears and quickly jumped over the rear seats to the back of the SUV. She turned twice and laid down in the back.

Luke looked over at Penelope. "It's not safe for her to ride without a restraint, but she doesn't like the dog belts. So, we trained on her laying in the back while the car is moving. She has more room, and I added some extra side padding." He drove carefully around the circular gravel driveway and headed back to the main road.

"What sounds good?"

"Hmmm…. I'm not picky."

"Come on Garcia…. help me out a little…what did you have for lunch?"

"Ummm…. Well, I kinda skipped lunch."

Luke glanced over at her. "Why?"

"Just busy…. setting up my new office…talking to the team…it wasn't a big deal."

The SUV slowed as they approached a red light. "How does Cuban sound?"

Penelope nodded. "Sure…sounds great."

Luke moved his hand and turned on the Bluetooth speaker. "Call Cucina Cabana"

The phone rang twice and a woman answered. "_Cocina Cubana ¿Cómo puedo ayudarte_?"

"_Hola Isabel. Es Luke Alvez. ¿Puedo hacer un pedido para recoger en treinta minutos_?"

He looked over at Penelope. "Anything specific you want?"

She smiled. "Surprise me."

Luke nodded and winked at her. "_Dos especiales de pollo, arroz amarillo y dos arepas. Ah, y Roxy está conmigo_." Luke finished giving the order and ended the call.

"Show off," teased Penelope.

"What? My Spanish? Come on Ms. _Garcia_, I'm sure you understood all of that."

"Well, I don't know what the special is exactly, but yes. I was adopted though…I can get through the basics, but I definitely am not entirely fluent."

Luke smiled. "You are plenty fluent in other ways. So maybe learning a little more Spanish is a goal…or not. I'm available to help translate for you anytime." He smiled and turned on the radio as they made their way to the restaurant.

Garcia watched from the SUV as Luke jogged up to the pick-up window of the small building. A young woman smiled and waved. Very soon she handed over a cardboard box with what looked like Chinese paper take out boxes peeking from the top. Luke and the woman talked, and the woman looked over to the SUV and Penelope, then back to Luke. They chatted again briefly and as Luke lifted the box and turned towards the SUV the woman looked again to Penelope and waved. Penelope smiled and gave a little wave back.

Luke opened the door behind the driver's seat and placed the box on the floorboard. He got back into his seat and started the engine again. "OK if we eat at my place?"

"Yeah great." Penelope replied. "So, do you come here often?"

"Fairly regularly. Isabel went to school with my sister Cara. Her mom makes the best arepas."

"Yum! Sounds delicious."

"They have a little bit of everything…. it's a small place, but the food is great." They continued to make small talk the rest f the way towards Luke's apartment. Once he pulled into his parking space he opened the door to pick up the food and called for Roxy. She jumped out and waited for him to walk towards the front of the SUV, falling into step. Garcia closed her door and followed the pair into the building and up the stairs to the second floor.

"Make yourself at home. Let me just get Roxy's food set up and then we'll eat." He headed into the kitchen and quickly pulled out some of the boxes onto the counter. He walked over to the opposite side of the room and reached up to get a metal food bowl. Very quickly Roxy's feast of bits of steak, carrots and sweet potatoes was placed in front of her. She waited for the command to start, then quickly dived into her bowl.

"I didn't know dogs liked carrots and sweet potatoes"

Luke looked up from the sink where he was washing his hands. "Yeah…I feed Roxy kind of on a whole food diet."

"Does it cost a lot more to do that versus the typical dog foods?"

Luke shrugged. "Not really…I mean, if I were feeding her kibble, I would go for the best I could get. It was more of a conscious decision of what is the healthiest and best decision for Roxy." Luke looked over the bar at Garcia. "She's my girl…got to keep her safe and happy."

Garcia smiled and walked over to the bar, watching Luke plate their meals. "So… a Cuban restaurant that serves out of Chinese takeout boxes…clever."

Luke chuckled. "Isabel says its better for the environment. It drives her nuts how much waste even her small restaurant creates…so she tries to recycle what she can as much as possible. But," he said dramatically, carrying two plates over to the small table outside the kitchen, "your dinner is now served."

She walked over to the table and sat down. The chicken was grilled with chopped garlic and sautéed onions piled on top. Next to it was yellow rice and a small serving of black beans. There were also two small lumps of something…carmelized but Garcia couldn't think what it was.

"Plantains…they are delicious." Luke filled in for her. He sat down across from Garcia and waited for her to pick up her fork before he started eating.

At the first bite Garcia closed her eyes. The burst of flavor from the chicken was unreal. Looking at the plate before tasting she had thought that the amount of garlic and onions might be too much. (Who wanted onion breath when in close quarters with anyone?!) But she was surprised at the savory and delicious flavor. "OMG! This is amazing!"

Luke grinned. "Pretty good, huh?" "Pretty good? I think it's the best chicken I've had in…forever!" Luke nodded. He pointed his fork at Garcia. "Next time I'll get the pork chops for you. You won't believe how good they are!"

Garcia blushed slightly, thinking to herself 'He's planning on another meal with me?' She nodded and looked back down to her plate, trying a little of the rice.

They took their time with their meal, chatting and enjoying the food. Luke asked questions about Garcia's new job and entertained her with a few stories about the new technical analysist assigned to the team. Garcia felt a slight twinge of guilt that maybe the team didn't have the right person for that job, but Luke assured her that Charles had pulled through in the end and they had caught the unsub. Luke was careful to not provide too many details; he knew Garcia had seen too much of the ugly truths his job entailed. He did not want to cause her more pain and sorrow.

The cleaned up the dishes together, working amicably in the kitchen. Garcia took over washing the plates and he dried and put them away. After the last dish was put away, they took Roxy out for a walk. Luke's apartment was near a city park, and he was able to let Roxy run and let off some energy. Garcia sat in the new spring grass and watched the two play with a large stick and laughed as Roxy played "Keep Away" from Luke.

Luke finally jogged back to join Garcia, falling in the grass and laying back, catching his breath.

"She won" Garcia said wryly.

"Oh, I know." He said breathlessly. He breathed in deeply a couple of times and then sat back up from his position. "She's a character."

Roxy looked over at them from where she was laying, gnawing on the stick. Her ears pricked again, as if she knew they were talking about her and she jumped up and trotted back towards Penelope and Luke. Garcia reached over and gave Roxy some firm pats to her flank. "She's a clever girl."

Luke smiled watch the two enjoy each other's company. He looked around, realizing the sun was about to set. "We should head back." He stood up and offered his hand to help Penelope stand as well. Once she was standing though, he didn't let go of her hand. They walked back towards the apartment building, enjoying the twilight air and watching Roxy run just ahead of them.

Luke unlocked his apartment door and held it open for Garcia. "I guess I need to get you home; you must have an early day tomorrow." Garcia nodded, surprised how much time they had spent together and how quickly it had seemed to pass. She said goodbye to Roxy and gave her one last hug, then walked with Luke back down the stairs and towards his SUV.

The traffic to Garcia's apartment was much lighter than it had been on the way from the restaurant. It only took Luke fifteen minutes to pull up to the curb in front of the older building. He turned off the engine but didn't make a move to get out of the car just yet.

"So…I was thinking maybe we could try having that dinner this weekend."

Garcia smiled. "We just had dinner."

Luke shook his head. "No, I mean a real dinner…a reservation, a nice restaurant, maybe a little dancing."

Garcia felt her cheeks flush. "Really?"

Luke reached over for her hand, holding it firmly. "Of course really. Who wouldn't want to spend time with you?" Garcia watched him walk around the front of the SUV and he opened her door. She mentally shook herself awake and unfastened her seatbelt. As she stepped down from the SUV Luke took her hand again and held it as they slowly walked towards the entrance to the building.

"So…are you free Saturday night?"

"Ummm. Yeah…yes of course," she stammered. "But are you sure?"

Luke stopped walking and pulled gently on her arm so they were facing each other. "Why wouldn't I be sure?"

"I just meant…the team…your schedule is always so busy…and random."

Luke nodded. "Yeah… But I'm going to take a chance that fate will be on my side…and that if I do have to reschedule my date will understand." He flashed her one of his crooked grins. Garcia smiled widely. "I guess I could understand if you had to save the world."

They kept walking up the stairs and quickly came to a stop at Garcia's door. Luke released her hand as she dug into her purse for her keys and waited while she unlocked the door.

"So do you ah, want to come in? I can make some tea…" she offered.

"That sounds great, but I know you have an early day, and I should probably get back to Roxy. Can I have a rain check though?"

Garcia nodded. "Of course, anytime. Mi casa es tu casa."

Luke smiled and moved in to give Garcia a hug. He breathed in deeply, smelling the familiar scent of her shampoo. "Ok…I need to let you get some rest. I'll call you tomorrow and we will decide what time on Saturday."

Garcia nodded again his shoulder and stepped away slightly, reluctant to let him go. "Tell the bad guys to take a weekend off, "she teased.

Luke laughed. "Yeah…I'll have Matt put out the APB."

Garcia laughed and watched him turn around and slowly walk back down the stairs. At the landing he turned around and raised his hand for one last goodbye. She gave him a little wave and quickly turned around to step into her apartment. She pushed the door closed with her back and leaned against it. "It's going to be a long three days," she whispered to herself.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

_**This chapter started out differently…I usually just start typing away and go with the flow of the story…but this one I actually went back and revised…I'm saving my original idea for a later chapter…but I think I like where this one took me too as well. As always, reviews feed the muse! Thank you for everyone who took the time to give me their thoughts so far. **_

"Dr Reid's office."

"This is SSA Alvez. I need to speak with Dr. Reid please."

Luke tapped his finders on his desk as he waited to be connected.

"Dr. Reid."

"Heya Reid…it's Luke. How's classes going?"

"Luke! They're going well…how's everything with you?"

"Good…good. We were in Arizona last week, but back in Quantico now."

"Have you heard from Emily lately?"

"Ahhh…I think Rossi spoke to her last week, but she's busy getting her new team operational in Denver."

"Yeah, I figured it might be a while before I would hear from her."

"So…I called to get some advice."

"Sure…what kind of case?"

Luke was quiet for a beat. "Ummm... no, I mean, yeah, I'm sure I'll need to get some help on cases from you, but this is actually…more a personal nature."

"Oh, okay. How can I help?" Reid's curiosity was evident; what could the handsome FBI agent need from him?

"Well, I asked Garcia to dinner, but I wanted to know…I mean…you two have always been so close…" Luke took a deep breath and just quickly got his question out of his head. "What restaurant would impress Garcia?"

Reid thought before carefully speaking. "You want to impress her." The statement sounded more like a question.

"Well, yeah…I mean…I always try to impress dates, but Garcia is… you know..."

"Special," offered Reid.

"Exactly. So, what kind of dinner should I take her to…to…you know…make a good impression?"

Reid sat down at his desk and turned his chair around to look at the campus outside of his window. "Do you know how Penelope always finds the perfect birthday gift for everyone?"

"Yeah," Luke drawled out slowly. "She's good with the shopping."

"It's more than that. I mean, I thought that too, but when I analyzed how much actual free time she has between working on the team, her volunteer hours, taking care of Sergio and given a certain amount of time for social activities, she actually has a surprisingly minimal amount of free time for actual shopping."

"So…you're saying she gets lucky?"

"Actually, no. The opposite. She gets the perfect gift because it is personal for her."

Luke tapped the end of his pen against his mouth while he considered Reid's point. "So, I need to take her somewhere personal?"

"Of you want to make a great impression on Garcia, showing her something about yourself and that you value your friendship is the key."

Luke smiled. Somehow without giving Luke an answer Reid had managed to be helpful…more than helpful actually.

"Thanks Reid…really."

"Luke?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't start something with Penelope unless you're serious. She may act like she's impervious, but she's not had an easy path in the personal relationship arena. I mean, yeah, she's had more dates than, well, me…but…"

"Reid," Luke interrupted. "I like her…. a lot. This is important for me."

"Okay then…I'm glad we understand each other."

Garcia juggled her bag and her morning coffee. Her heels clicked sharply down the marble tile hallway,

"Good Morning Ms. Garcia."

"Andrew, I've asked you to call me- "

"Penelope, yes I know. It's…. going to take me a little while to get used to that. The previous director was much more… direct."

"If by 'direct' you mean uptight and overly concerned with social protocols, I would have to agree with you."

Andrew reached for her bag and held open her office door. "Yes ma'am."

Garcia rolled her eyes. "Andrew…don't call me 'Ma'am'"

"Yes M- I mean Yes Penelope" he stammered.

Penelope walked over to her desk and sat down. Andrew placed her bag on her desk then pulled out his phone. "I've sent your messages to your daily planner. You have a nine o'clock teleconference call with the project managers."

"Thank you, Andrew." She pulled out her tablet reviewed the new emails in her inbox. Andrew left the room, softly closing the office door behind him. It wasn't long before Garcia's personal phone rang with a video call.

"JJ!"

"Guess what Henry insisted on bringing to "Show and Tell" today at school?" Garcia smiled at the sound of JJ's voice.

"Spencer's old ID badge?" she guessed.

"You would think, but no. Nothing would do except for Aunt Penelope's Unicorn plant."

"Awww…that's so sweet."

"He said the teacher wanted them to bring something that made them feel happy. It was the first thing he thought of and no matter how much we tried to suggest something else, he insisted that was the only thing he wanted to bring."

Garcia smiled as she felt a single tear well up in her eye. "Well I'm thrilled to hear that my unicorn is making others happy."

JJ laughed. "Let's just hope it makes it back home in one piece. Last week the kids decided to have Jedi Master tryouts during recess."

"Oh no!" Penelope laughed.

"At least they haven't graduated to 'Weapons Class'…yet." JJ added wryly. "So, how's your new job going?"

"It's good. Different, but good."

"Have you heard from the rest of the team/"

"A few. It's only been a week and a half."

"Hmm…true." JJ was silent for a moment, then asked, "What about Luke?"

Garcia turned her chair towards the window. "What about him?"

"Penelope. Don't try to be coy."

"I hate profilers."

"You love me…now dish."

"Okay, fine. He called me yesterday. The team was on a case and he just got back into town. We went and picked up Roxy and had some take-out."

"Take out?! What kind of first date is that?" JJ exclaimed.

"It wasn't a date…it was just time to get something to eat."

JJ frowned. "I thought you said he asked you out at the party."

"He did…but he was letting me get settled in here at the office, then the team got sent to Vegas."

JJ nodded. "Okay….so when is this date going to happen?"

Garcia rolled her eyes. "Saturday."

"_This_ Saturday? Like in three days Saturday?"

Garcia nodded.

"Where are you going? What are you wearing?"

"I'm not sure yet. He was going to call me later today to let me know where and what time."

JJ looked at Grcia through the camera. "And?"

"And what?"

"Aren't you excited?"

"Well, yeah. I mean, he's a nice guy…I'm sure we'll have fun."

"A nice guy." JJ repeated flatly.

"What?! He is," said Garcia indignantly.

"He's a frigging hottie and you know it."

Garcia felt her face warm. "Wh-What? I mean, yeah, if that's the kind of thing you go for…"

JJ rolled her eyes. "Let's see," she ticked off her bullet points on her fingers. "He's smart, gorgeous, loves animals, and he speaks English and Spanish fluently. He's got a quirky sense of humor, has muscles for days, volunteers when he can and calls his mother every Sunday."

"True.," answered Penelope quietly.

"And he can shoot a gun. I think he more than qualifies as a 'hottie'".

"Ok fine…He's a gorgeous specimen of a man, are you happy?"

JJ laughed. "Girlfriend, I'm married…the question is are YOU happy?"

Garcia smiled. "I'll let you know after Saturday." She shrugged. "Who knows? Maybe it will turn out we both just sit at dinner with nothing to talk about. I mean, he is a little out of my league."

"Penelope Rose Garcia!"

"What?"

"You know damn well what."

"Look, you're the one that wanted to point out all of his good qualities."

"You have just as many Penelope. You know I hate to hear you downgrade yourself."

"Just trying to be realistic." Penelope murmured as she picked at an imaginary piece of lint on her pencil skirt.

"You have just as many good qualities as Luke Alvez. Why wouldn't he be interested in you?"

"Look, I know what my shortcomings are…I do okay in my own way…I learned my lesson from Jacob. But I think Luke's probably looking more for a good friend than a girlfriend. It wasn't that long ago that Jackie moved out of their apartment."

JJ shook her head. "You know they were over long before she left, don't you?"

"What do you mean?"

"Penelope, Lisa really was never the same after what happen to Phil. For the last six months or so she and Luke were basically just roommates."

"But he never said anything."

"He did…but you had to really read between the lines."

"Listen, I have to go…I have a conference call I need to get ready for…can I call you back later?"

"Of course. Call me tomorrow night…We can pick out what you want to wear for Saturday. Any Penelope?"

"Yeah?"

"Luke asked YOU out. Trust me…He's interested. This isn't just for show or so he has a buddy in town."

Penelope nodded and ended the call. She turned back around and started pulling up the files she needed for the morning call. In the back of her mind though, she considered what JJ had shared…

Penelope groaned and stood up, stretching her back. She glanced at the clock and realized it was after 1 p.m. She hadn't even stopped for lunch yet. She walked over to the minifridge and pulled out her packed lunch. She sat down in one of the chairs in front of her desk and tried to relax for a moment.

Her office phone rang. She sighed and leaned over the desk to turn on the speaker.

"Penelope Garcia speaking."

"Well hello Ms. Garcia. I was looking for the Oracle of all Information."

She smiled.

"The Oracle is taking a break. What are you up to?"

Luke chuckled. "Just left a briefing. Have to head to Arizona for a training session in a few hours."

"Oh," she said disappointedly. "I suppose that means you have to cancel our pans for Saturday?"

"No no…I'm the instructor on this one. I should be back on the early evening flight Friday."

"Oh, well, that's good…I mean…that you won't be out of town too long."

"Yeah, well…I have plans for this weekend I don't really want to change."

Garcia was quiet, then asked "Are you sure Luke?"

"Why wouldn't I be sure? I mean…it's taken me three years to get you to agree to have dinner with me."

He waited and when she didn't respond he asked, "Penelope, have you changed your mind?"

"Yes…I mean no…I mean…Yes I still want to have dinner with you…no, I haven't changed my mind."

"Good. Well, I have two questions for you then."

"Okay. What are they?"

"First, how does Santorini's sound for dinner? I'll pick you up around 7?"

Garcia smiled. "That sounds great."

"Awesome." Garcia could hear his smile over the phone.

"Oh, and…this one you should feel free to say no to…but…any chance you would mind watching Roxy? Her sitter is on Spring break and Dan and his wife have to go out of town until next week."

Garcia thought for a moment but before she could answer Luke rushed to fill in the silence. "I mean, don't feel like you have to say yes. I can find other arrangements…it just seemed like you had fun with us last night…and I know she would love to be with you rather than cooped up in a cage or in my apartment waiting on the sitter to come and walk her twice a day."

"Of course, I can…but how can I get into your place?"

"I can send an extra key by messenger. I'd bring it by myself, but I have to be at the airport to fly out in about an hour. Are you sure that's okay?"

"Of course. Roxy and Sergio will be fine at my place. Can you text me what I need for her food?"

"Actually, I went this morning to the store before work and stocked up. Everything for this week is packaged in the fridge."

"Okay, great. So I'll pick her up this evening and just take her back to my place, if that's okay."

"She will love it. She's got a couple of tennis balls you can take with you…she loves paying catch at the end of the day. And her leash and collar are there by the front door on the side table."

"Sounds good."

"Thanks Penelope. I'll…umm… I'll call you when I land…to check on Roxy I mean."

Penelope smiled. "Sure. We'll be around. I'll tell Roxy."

Luke chuckled. "Okay then. I'll talk to you soon."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Penelope felt like her day was replaying itself, except instead of her bag and coffee now she was juggling a leash, a grocery bag of Roxy's food, her work bag _and _her keys. "It's a good thing you don't really need that leash" She said to Roxy. The dog looked back up at her panting, and what Garcia interpreted as a smile.

"Okay Rox…Home sweet home." Garcia opened the door and motioned for Roxy to walk inside. Garcia closed the door and watched as Roxy walked around the large room. She walked over to the window and used her nose to push the curtain aside, looking out to the patio. She turned around and after walking back around the couch settled and lay down in front of the couch. Garcia toed off her shoes and joined Roxy, wanting to rest for just a minute before she put away the food and put out Roxy's dinner. She reached over and scratched the dog between her ears.

Roxy sat up at the contact and leaned her head on Garcia's lap. "Aww…you're a sweetheart."

Garcia rested but after a few minutes she got up and went to put away Roxy's meals. She set one portion in the dog bowl she's brought from Luke's and while Roxy was eating went to the bedroom to change into yoga pants and a t shirt. Sergio was lounging on her bed, one eye opened but he refused to get up from his favorite spot. Garcia reach over and stroked the car from head to tail. "Maybe in a little while you'll come and say hi to Roxy, hmmm?"

Garcia walked back to the kitchen. Once Roxy was finished Garcia clipped her leash back on and grabbed one of the tennis balls. She took Roxy to the wooded area behind her apartment building and played catch with Roxy.

They played for about 45 minutes, then went back inside, Roxy panting hard. Garcia made herself a salad and turned on the television to watch while she ate. Garcia's phone rang.

"Garcia."

"Hey…just checking on Roxy,"

"Oh, she's fine…here, let me switch over." Garcia turned on the camera and gave Luke a view of Roxy relaxing on the rug in front of the leather couch. "We just finished playing catch actually."

Luke laughed. "She will play that all day if you let her. Hey Rox…you having fun girl?"

Roxy lifted her head at the sound of her name and Luke's voice.

"She's been perfect," Penelope assured Luke.

"Did Sergio mind getting a new roommate?"

"He'll be fine. Actually, I don't think he has noticed yet. He has already taken ownership of my bed before we arrived."

"Hmm… that's one lucky cat," Luke murmured.

"Sorry, what?"

"Oh, uh I said don't let Roxy copy that. I mean, she'd take up a lot more sace than Sergio."

"True."

"Hey, thanks again. I really appreciate you taking care of her."

"Of course. You didn't arrive in Vegas yet, did you?"

"No…I have a layover here at O'Hare. My flight boards in about 20 more minutes. I just thought I'd call to check on you…and Roxy."

"Well, Roxy and I are fine. Just relaxing."

"Well, I wish I was there with you."

Garcia didn't know quite what to day to that. She decided to try and change the subject. "So will you have some time to hit the casinos?"

Luke smiled. "Doubtful…but if I do, what's your lucky number?"

Garcia quickly answered "18."

"Really?" Luke asked, surprised. Most people stuck with single digits when asked that question.

She shrugged. "Yeah, well…it was a pivotal year for me…but I like to think I made the best out of all the challenges."

Luke nodded. "Yeah…it can be a hard year."

Garcia shook her head. "No…it was more than that. My whole life changed that year…it…it wasn't anything I would have imagined."

Luke watched her…her eyes staring off, remembering. "Penelope. You changed. You came out of everything and made it to the top of your game."

"I never told you everything…what I did. How the FBI found me."

"So, you'll tell me. I'll listen."

"It's…not that easy," she whispered.

"Hey…I said I'll listen. Whenever you're ready."

Penelope nodded.

"I mean it Penelope…I'm always here for you."

"Some day, maybe. But not tonight."

"Okay."

Penelope shook her head slightly, like she was brushing away the sober mood. "Yep…you're right…so if you get a chance, play on number 18 for me, yeah?" she asked brightly.

Luke smiled. "You bet." He looked up. "They're finishing up loading the plane. I should power down. I'll call you tomorrow, okay?"

"Sure. Have a safe flight."

"Good night Penelope."

Luke held the phone in his hand, staring at the black screen.

"She has a nice voice," an elderly woman with short curls sat in the seat next to Luke. She was holding onto a book, but she was watching Luke instead of reading.

"Excuse me? Were you talking to me ma'am?"

The woman nodded. "Forgive me. My daughter tells me I'm turning into a nosy old lady…but at my age, getting old in any way is better than the alternative. I could hear the sound of her voice on your phone."

She smiled. "Oh, I wasn't eavesdropping. I couldn't make out exactly what she was saying…but she had such a pretty sounding voice."

Luke smiled. "I think so too."

"Are you going to Vegas too?"

"Yes ma'am. For business, though."

"I'm meeting some friends there. We try to get together once a year. My daughter thinks we're going just to see Neil Diamond sing." She leaned a little closer and whispered, "Actually we have tickets to see the Magic Mike show."

Luke raised his eyebrows but grinned. "Well, your secret is safe with me." He mimed zipping his lips and winked at the older woman.

"You look like a nice young man. But you should bring your girlfriend next time. Girls like fun trips, you know."

"Yes ma'am…I'll remember that. She would love to visit Vegas, I'm sure."

The older lady patted his arm that was between their seats. "Good ones are hard to find. My Earl has been gone fifteen years this September. But the good memories…those I have forever."

Luke smiled, then looked up at the flight attendant going over the safety procedures. He knew them well, of course, but out of courtesy he tried to look as if he was paying attention. His mind traveled though, imagining himself talking Penelope on vacation to the City of lights. He smiled to himself imagining how her eyes would light up at the sights and sounds.

"The captain has informed me we are taking off next, and we are expecting calm weather between here and Vegas. So please, sit back and relax, and thank you for flying MidWest Air."


	6. Chapter 6

_**Sorry for the delay. This week has been hectic with online learning starting. It feels like every couple of days they change the expectations a bit. It's kind of like playing a boardgame with my nephew…I have to check and see if he is wearing his "cheetah" pants…so he can cheat and win every time!**_

_**I'll tell you a secret though…reviews help me work faster! True story! Tell me what you think…what you like…what I goofed…or what you'd like to read next. I will say that Chapter 7 will include the date. I promise. I like a good build up, but I can't wait any longer. **_

_**I've also been watching reruns online…and SO many scenes come to mind when I rewatch those Garvez moments! The one I watched last night was from the episode "Rusty". How did I forget this one? Penelope gives them key information and mutters something like "You should worship at my throne Luke Alvez" and he replies "Oh but I do. I do. You know I do." Ack! How did I miss that one?**_

_**OK…hope you enjoy. I'm off to social distance the best way I know how…in my heated pool here in Florida. We all have to do our part you know. TTFN**_

**Chapter 6**

"Roxy? Sergio? Hey guys…I'm back!"

Garcia put her bag on the dining table, looking around for the two animals had finally made an appearance last night. This evening Garcia had her volunteering session with the Victim's Support Group. She heard the jingling of tags on collars and looked up to see Roxy stretching her legs as she walked into the hallway from the bedroom with Sergio following quickly behind.

"There you are! How are you my lovelies?" Garcia bent down to pet each animal. She led the way to her couch, stretching out and leaning back on the cushions. It had been a hard session tonight. Her friend Gina had shared with the group. Today was the anniversary of her husband's death. There hadn't been a dry eye in the room after she tearfully shared how she still suffered from sleepless nights and nightmares. Nights like tonight made it hard on Garcia. After seeing too many pictures of victims during BAU cases, she knew all too well how devious some humans could become. There weren't enough cute baby animal pictures on all the internet to help erase those images. Hearing other stories from survivors about their own low points or how they continued to struggle put Garcia in their shoes. Sometimes she would wake up in the dark, gasping to escape whatever nightmare her subconscious had created from memories and hearing others' stories.

The phone rang, startling her from her thoughts. It was after 9…later than she usually received calls. She looked…it was a video call from Luke.

"Hey! Sorry, I know it's late. I just got back to my hotel room after my last session. I thought I would call and check in before you called it a night."

"Luke," she breathed out heavily. "I thought someone was calling with bad news."

"Bad news? Why?"

"It was just me overreacting. I have a theory that no one calls with good news after 8:30."

"Hmm…Well, I can see your point. But, no…I don't have any bad news to share. How was your day?"

"It was good." She looked over at Roxy curled up with Sergio. "I came home a little early to have dinner and play with Roxy. I had my support group tonight, so I wanted to make sure to have plenty of time for Roxy to eat and to enjoy some time outside." She turned the camera view so he could see Roxy.

"There's my girl. She seems to have made herself at home…found a new friend too."

Penelope turned the camera back to face her. "Yeah. They are getting along great."

"I'm glad. Roxy hasn't been near too many cats, but she's always been friendly with other dogs I have had her around."

"She's a sweet girl."

"Yeah. You should have seen her as a puppy. She was always tumbling…running after balls and doing somersaults. I took her to Puppy School, just to give her some time socializing with other dogs. She was the troublemaker in the class."

"Roxy? No way! I've never seen her misbehave."

Luke grinned. "During free time she would convince some of the other dogs to play keep away with one of the toys…but then while they were busy fighting over it, she would sneak over to the toy she REALLY wanted and play with it all by herself. Pretty clever tactic, if you ask me," he said proudly. "I forgot that this week was your support group meeting. I'm sorry. How did it go tonight?"

"It was okay. Going is always good and bad."

"I can imagine. Well, if you need to talk to someone…You know I'm always here, right?"

Garcia looked to her side table. She picked up the squeaky squishy cat that was a gift from Luke after that case in Vermont. It was right after Reid had been imprisoned and she had been having trouble dealing with all the emotions surrounding that. She smiled, squeezing the toys softly.

"I know. Thank you." She replied softly.

"So," Luke tried to change the subject, "I'm really looking forward to our dinner. Have you been to Santorini's yet?"

"No. JJ and Will went a couple of months ago on one of their date nights. She said the food was uh-mazing. She said to be sure and try the Saganaki."

"Do you like Greek food?" Luke chuckled. "I guess I should have asked that before I made the reservations."

"I've had some Greek food…gyros, baklava. I don't think I've been to an actual Greek restaurant though. Saganaki sounds more Japanese to me."

"I think you'll love it…plus they have some great wines…I know you will love that," he teased.

"Well, yeah…I do love a great glass of red." She agreed. She yawned suddenly. Luke smiled.

"Well, it's getting late and you've had a long day." She nodded. "Go on…get out of those work clothes and get to bed. I'll call you tomorrow before my flight takes off, okay?"

"What time do you think you will arrive in DC?"

"Probably around midnight. Depends on how long the layover actually takes. We'll see tomorrow what the flights look like. But for tonight I want you to go to bed and relax, yeah?"

Penelope smiled. "Don't think just because I left the BAU that you can start ordering me around SSA Alvez."

Luke chuckled. "I would never presume so much Ms. Garcia."

"Just keep that in mind Newbie."

She ended the connection, still smiling.

Garcia sat at her desk looking at three monitors. She reached over and grabbed her water bottle.

"Ms. Garcia?"

"Yes, Estelle?" she answered without looking up from the front monitor.

"I have the old files you requested. They haven't been digitized yet, so" a large carboard file box was plopped loudly onto the desk. Garcia looked up. Two other employees followed Estelle into the room brining a total of three other boxes to add to the first.

"You have got to be kidding."

"No ma'am."

Garcia lifted the lid slowly. It was packed full of manila file folders, most full of loose papers.

"They aren't even bound? Just a…loosey goosey mess waiting to happen?"

"Well…you said you wanted to view the information prior to the original purchase of the subsidiary and the organizational chart of the original executive team and their employment contracts."

"You are correct. I did. How clever of me," Garcia murmured in agreement. She had not anticipated such a paper trail. "Thank you, Estelle. Really. On your way back downstairs can you ask Andrew to come in here when he gets a chance?"

"Of course." Estelle hurriedly turned and walked away, her small heels clicking on the marble tile. Garcia moved her chair closer to where the first box was positioned and started pulling out folders. She was looking through the first one when she heard three sharp knocks on the opened office door.

"Estelle said you needed to see me?" Andrew eyed the box of folders curiously.

"We have to go through all of these files and make some sense out of them."

"All of them?"

"Yep."

"I don't suppose…?" his question trailed off.

"Hard copies only my furry friend."

"Penelope, it's 2:35 on a Friday afternoon."

"I know."

"You need this for your meeting Monday at 11."

"I know."

Andrew sighed and picked up the first box. "I'm going to need a few more people on this."

Garcia nodded. "Call down to see if Sandra and Luis are available They have been working on the team with the Congressional Lobbying. They should be able to break away to help with this. We will probably need them through out next week." Andrew nodded and walked back out of the office with his box.

Garcia sighed. Even with added help this was going to be a bear.

Garcia stretched her arms over her head. She glanced at the clock on her computer. It was almost 6. "Oh, my stars. I'm so late." She closed the folder she was reading and put it back into the box that was half full still. She had sorted through the folders and organized them according to content. What she had left in the cardboard box was what still had to be compiled. She had spoken to Andrew and his new team around 4:30. They each had their own assignments for the weekend. They could work remotely from home, but everything had to be completed by Monday morning. Garcia had already sent a request for a temporary extension, but with the approaching weekend there was no guarantee they would receive a positive answer.

Garcia slid on her coat for the cool spring air and slid the strap of her bag over her shoulder. She picked up the cardboard box and made her way to the elevator lobby. It would probably take her at least 45 minutes to get home in Friday evening traffic. Garcia made a promise to spoil Roxy with an extra long walk tonight to make up for being late. The dog sitter had called Garcia yesterday and offered to stop by to walk and play with Roxy, but Garcia wasn't comfortable leaving her key to someone she did not know, even if Luke trusted the woman implicitly.

Garcia put the cardboard box on the ground and unlocked the door to her car. She pulled up the seat and slid the box into the back seat. She sighed as she sank into the driver's seat. "Positive side, Garcia? You almost never got home this early at the BAU." She turned the key in the ignition and checked her rearview mirror before backing out of her space.

Luke waited in line to grab a coffee across from the gate for his flight. His sessions had run long, and he had to rush to make it to the airport on time. Good thing he was used to traveling light. If he had to check in luggage, he would never had made it through security in time, even with his Government ID and badge.

He finally received his coffee and found a comfortable chair to rest in for a few minutes. He sipped as he watched the ebb and flow of passengers trying to get a caffeine or sugar fix.

His phone rang. He looked at the screen and smiled. "Lisa! How you doin'?"

"I'm good. Had a random evening off and wanted to see if you were interested in seeing a movie tonight."

"Thanks, but I'm actually waiting to catch a flight back to DC tonight from Vegas."

"What happened to the BAU jet? Are you slumming it now with the rest of humanity?"

Luke laughed. "No, we still have it. I had to facilitate a training session here for the local field office. So it's just me this time."

"Look at that…Luke Alvez moving up in the FBI world," Lisa teased. "So I'll wait…we can check out that movie tomorrow. I have to be at work at 9, but I could manage a late matinee and maybe an early dinner?"

"Ah, well…actually.."

Lisa laughed. "I'm surprised again. You have a date."

"Ahh, yeah. I have a date."

"Another blind date, or did you actually find this lady on your own?"

Luke ran his hand through his hair. He and Lisa had managed to stay friends despite their breakup, but he hadn't told her about his feelings towards Penelope.

"Well, I actually asked her out. I mean, It's not a blind date. You know her actually…"

"Penelope Garcia. You actually finally asked her out."

"Wait…how did you guess?"

"Guess? You aren't the only one who can profile Alvez."

Luke laughed. "No, really…that had to be a lucky guess…I mean you had a 50/50 chance of guessing a coworker…that's how you did it, right?"

"Tara would never date you. I mean, yeah you have the muscles and the gun…but she needs more of an intellectual to challenge her."

"I'm intellectual!" he protested.

"Yes, but not with the degrees and doctorates to back it up."

"So how then?"

Lisa chuckled. "How many times did you change the subject whenever Phil would mention Garcia's name? I mean, you were practically cock blocking him at every turn."

"What? You're crazy. I would never do something like that to Phil…he was my best friend."

"I know. You loved him. But you didn't think he was right for Garcia…or rather, you didn't want to risk finding out she could be happy with him."

Luke thought about that for a moment. "I wanted him to be happy."

"I know. What happened to Phil is not your fault." She paused, then changed directions. "So where are you taking the fabulous Ms. Garcia?"

"Uh…Santorini's."

"Nice. Make sure you order the –"

"Penfold's Shiraz? You know it."

"You always did have good taste. Here too. I think you and Garcia will be good for each other."

"Hey, I mean, it's just dinner. We aren't moving in together."

"I know. But it will be good for you to see someone again. Your job…you need someone to come home to…besides Roxy."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

"JJ! I told you that dress is at the cleaners!"

JJ breathed in deeply. "Garcia…stop."

Garcia stopped in the middle of flipping through the clothes in her closet. She sighed and went to plop down on her bed. She gave the phone an exasperated stare.

"I have two kids and one is quickly approaching his preteen years. That look will not work on me," JJ admonished.

"I don't understand why when you need it to nothing fits…and you can't find anything in the stores. And heaven knows my sewing skills are less than subpar."

"It's called Murphy's Law. Besides…you are putting way too much thought into this."

"Me? You're the one that wanted to see what I was picking out to wear. Oh man…it's five o'clock. I haven't even showered or done my hair or-"

"Penelope! Breathe!"

JJ waited and after seeing Garcia take a few deep breaths she continued. "Look…Luke has seen most of your wardrobe. Has he ever indicated he thought you didn't look nice?"

"Well…no…"

"Have you ever heard him critique anything about you…other than how you teased him?"

"No," replied Penelope quietly.

"Then why are you stressing out? It's just dinner PG."

Penelope was quiet, then asked "Can you say that again?"

JJ frowned. "I said it's just dinner. I mean…there's nothing to stress over here, right?"

"Right. Of course. Just dinner." She looked up and saw Roxy coming into the room. She came up to the bed and put her head in Penelope's lap. Luke had called last night. His layover was delayed, so Garcia had convinced him to leave Roxy with her and he could take her home after their dinner tonight. That let Luke catch up on some sleep and get some errands done during the day.

"Garcia? You okay?"

"Yeah…Yes of course. Thanks JJ. That helps a lot. I've got it."

"Okay," JJ said slowly. "Well, give me a call tomorrow. And have fun tonight."

Garcia nodded and waved goodbye. She put the phone on the nightstand and stood up. "Just dinner. No biggie." She walked over to the closet.

Luke strummed his fingers on the steering wheel as he drove over to Penelope's. He'd put on music to help distract himself a little. He turned left and pulled onto Garcia's street. He parked the SUV and unbuckled his seatbelt.

As he walked up to Garcia's apartment door he stopped and took a deep breath. He knocked three times and waited.

Garcia opened the door, looking a little unsure.

"Hey! Come on in," she stepped back so he could walk inside. Roxy came running up to greet him.

"Hey Rox! Did you have fun without me?"

"She was great. Her and Sergio got along, and she loves playing in the back outside."

Luke knelt to give Roxy some attention but looked up at Garcia. "Thanks again. I really appreciate it."

Garcia waved. "Anytime. You know that."

Luke smiled. "So, are you ready to go?"

"Um…yes. Just let me grab my purse." She walked over to the side table and put her phone in the purse. "All set."

Luke opened the door for her and waited for her to lock it. They made their way to the car and Luke opened the door and waited while Garcia got inside. He gave her a grin and a wink as he closed the door, then jogged around the front of the SUV to get to the driver's door.

As he put on his seatbelt he looked over at Garcia. "You look great tonight."

Garcia looked up from where she had been inspecting the skirt laying over her lap. "You think so?"

Luke grinned. "Yeah. I do, of course."

Garcia smiled. "Well you look very nice yourself."

Luke shrugged as he turned on the ignition. "Well, I didn't have Roxy there to help me pick anything out, but I think I managed alright without her."

Garcia laughed. "So now you're saying you've trained Roxy to be your own private fashionista?"

"Of course."

The radio turned on, still on the oldies station Luke had been listening to on the way over.

"Beatles? I didn't know you were a fan."

Luke shrugged. "I'm kind of all over the place when it comes to music…just depends on my mood. I like this station…it plays all of my mom and dad's favorites from the 60's."

"My parents used to listen to the 60's a lot too. The Beatles are my favorite band of all time."

Luke nodded. "They are a classic, for sure."

They listened to the song in comfortable silence. When the next came on, Garcia asked, "So what else do you like to listen to?"

"Mmm…it really just depends. Sometimes classic rock, sometimes new top 40… some jazz. I've been known to hum along to a country song or two." He risked a glance over at her.

"Stop. THE Luke Alvez listens to country? I don't believe it."

"Hey, in Iraq you got to listen to what everyone else was listening during what down time we had. I'll admit…some of the songs I liked. They were…catchy."

"Mm hmm. Catchy. I will need more evidence before I completely believe you."

Luke laughed. "Name the time and place Ms. Garcia… We can go to a country bar and the first one who can name that tune wins a free round."

"You're on."

They finished the drive chatting, but soon Luke was pulling up to the valet attendant. He handed over his key and met Garcia at her door. He offered her his arm as they walked up to the front door of the restaurant.

"Oh, my goodness! Look at this place!"

"Wow…that mural makes it look like we are on the coast of Greece."

They approached the host stand and the young woman looked up from her computer screen. "Welcome to Santorini's. Do you have a reservation?"

"Yes, Alvez for 2."

She checked her computer then smiled brightly at him. "Yes sir. We have your table ready, if you will just follow me?" She led them through the restaurant to a small table near one of the windows. Luke held Penelope's chair for her and then sat down. The host handed them both their menus. "Stefan will be your server this evening. He will be here shortly to explain the specials."

Luke looked over at Penelope. "This place looks really nice."

"You've never been here before?"

"No…I wanted to pick a place new for both of us. But I've heard great things about it."

They looked around the dining room, appreciating the ambiance. The cushions of the booths were decorated in blue crushed velveted stripes. On all the walls were hundreds of framed photos that looked like a travel magazine photo shoot. The arched ceilings had decorative tiles above. Each table had crisp white linens and a small crackled glass globe with a lit candle inside. There was an open kitchen where you could see the chefs busy preparing different dishes.

"Good Evening. My name is Stefan. Welcome to Santorini's. We have a few specials this evening, if you would care to hear about them?"

Penelope and Luke nodded, and listened to him explain the specials for the evening.

Luke looked over at Penelope but spoke to Stefan, "I think we need a few more minutes to decide. I would like to go ahead and order a bottle of the Penfold's Shiraz."

"Of course. I will bring the wine and then take your order. Please, take your time." Stefan walked away.

"Red is your favorite, right?"

Penelope smiled. "It is. Thank you for remembering."

After a few minutes Luke asked, "So, what looks good?"

Penelope laughed. "Everything. I'm having a hard time deciding."

"Me too. How about we pick a couple of items and share?"

Penelope nodded. "Okay. Well, I think the Psarotavérna sounds delicious."

Luke nodded. "Okay, how about that and the ribeye with Greek chimichurri and the oven roasted marble potatoes?" Penelope agreed.

Stefan returned with their wine and two glasses. He opened the wine and offered Luke a sample. Luke nodded and Stefan proceeded to pour a glass first for Penelope, then for Luke.

"Have you decided?"

Luke looked over at Penelope and she indicated him to go ahead and order. "The lady will have the Psarotavérna and I will have the ribeye with the Greek chimichurri."

"Of course. Excellent choices. How would you like your steak prepared sir?"

"Medium," Luke answered with a raised eyebrow as he looked at Penelope. She nodded.

"I'd also like to order the Saganaki and the… Keftedes for appetizers."

"Of course. Would you care for a salad course? The spring chef board is delicious and would be perfect for sharing."

Luke nodded. "That sounds great."

"I will bring your appetizers as soon as they are ready." Stefan took their menus and walked towards the server station to place their order.

"This place is really nice."

"It is. I'm glad we finally had the chance to do this."

Penelope smiled and took a sip of her wine.

"So, Penelope," Luke started. "I tell me something."

"Okay."

"How did you get to the BAU?"

She raised an eyebrow. "You've heard this story."

"No, really, I haven't. I mean, you were, of course, amazing…but I know seeing all the evidence of the scumbags we track down couldn't have been your dream career."

"Oh, come on…you must have heard at least a little of this story on the jet."

"No, really…I didn't."

Penelope gave him a look of disbelief, but finally she started. "Well…you know my parents were killed when I was young."

Luke nodded. "Drunk driver… you spoke for him at his parole hearing."

"Right. Jesse Wilson. Well, when they died, I really had a hard time coping. I kind of retreated from the outside world and what was left was my computer. I started coding, and I found a group that I could confide in…talk to. I finally started college and my friends there were just as into the online and digital world as I was."

"So, you decided to join the FBI after graduating?"

Penelope laughed. "No…not by a long shot."

Luke raised an eyebrow.

Penelope shrugged. "Let's just say…I got too good. I started accepting challenges…and as I won, the risks had to be increased…I kept trying to do more…be sneakier…stealthier."

"You…stealthier." Luke laughed, shaking his head.

"Don't make fun Luke Alvez. You have no idea how far my superpowers reach."

Luke held up his hands. "Whoa…I'm sure…I've only seen the tip of the iceberg of your talents."

Penelope shook her head. "You don't sound like you believe me."

"Well, you have to admit…you aren't known for being able to keep secrets for very long."

Penelope squinted and pursed her lips. "You think you can read me like a book, don't you?"

Luke shook his head. "I think I've gotten to know you fairly well over the past few years. I mean, everyone has a few secrets in the closet…but I think in general you are kind, caring…look for the good in the world. I think that is great…we need more people like you in this world." Luke reached out and brought his water glass up to take a sip.

"I was arrested, convicted of cyber terrorism and held in a federal prison."

Luke choked on his water, spilling some on the tablecloth as he coughed and hurried to put the glass back down. Garcia smiled again and took another sip of her wine, blinking her eyes at him innocently.

"Surprise," she singsonged.

"You're kidding."

"Nope. Betcha didn't profile that one, did you Newbie?"

Luke laughed as he shook his head. "So how did you go from there to the FBI?"

"Let's just say the government decided I would be of better use working for them than against them."

"And you agreed."

Penelope lifted one shoulder in a shrug. "I wasn't really feeling the prison house orange jumpsuit look anyways…and if I could get paid and regain my freedom doing what I was obviously good at…why not?"

"Wow. I never knew."

"Well, let this be a lesson Newbie…never judge a book by its cover."

_****So…the date isn't over yet…but I wanted to give you all an update. **____** I'd love to know what you think. Send me a review…it helps to feed the muse and get you another chapter more quickly. Hope you are staying safe! ****_


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

_**I know, I know…It's been a little while since I posted an update. I hope everyone has been able to stay safe. Thank you for all of the reviews…I love reading each and every one of them. I intended this to be just a quick chapter…a tease…but once I started, I wanted to finish. I hope you like what's next. **_

"There's a very attractive woman over there at the bar. The one in the yellow dress."

Luke stopped in the middle of bringing his fork to his mouth. "Ah, thanks, but.."

"Oh, I don't mind. I mean, it looks like she's with some friends for a girl's night, but I'm sure they wouldn't mind you stepping in for a quick introduction."

Luke put the fork with the bite of fish back down on his plate, his eyebrow raised as he watched Penelope. "Maybe. But that's really not my style."

"Oh, I know…you like blind dates. But, you know what they say…when opportunity knocks…" Garcia's voice trailed off. She took a bit of her potatoes and looked over the table at him, eyes wide and unblinking.

Luke tilted his head. Something was off. He'd thought they were having a great dinner…but she seemed intent on him going and introducing himself to some random woman at the bar. He took a sip of his wine, then leaned a little closer over the table.

"Penelope… what's going on?"

She blinked. "What? Just trying to help."

"Help what?"

"Well, you. I mean, I know it's been a while since you and Lisa broke up…you should get out more."

"I am."

She tilted her head. "Oh, I mean more than just dinner with a friend…you know… like on a real date."

Luke shook his head. "I AM." He said a little more firmly.

Garcia reached for her wine glass and took a healthy sip. "You're at dinner with me. I mean a real date."

Luke shook his head and sat back. "Huh."

"Huh what? What's 'Huh" mean?"

Luke sighed. "It means I am on a real date…but evidently you don't think the same."

Penelope stared at him. He could practically see the wheels turning behind her big brown eyes. She slowly shook her head. "No…we're just having dinner."

"Not the way I see it. I invited you to dinner, yes…as my date."

"But…I mean…JJ said…and I…"

"What did JJ say?"

Garcia looked down at her plate and mumbled.

"Sorry? I didn't catch that."

Garcia sighed and looked up. "She said we were just having dinner. I mean…she called and I asked her help in picking an outfit. She said I didn't need to stress so much because it was just dinner with our friend Luke."

Luke slowly nodded, finally figuring out what was going through Penelope's mind. "So you thought this wasn't a real date."

"Well, yeah."

Luke smiled. "Well, then I've done it."

"Done what?"

Luke leaned closer over the table. "I've outsmarted the brilliant Penelope Garcia." Luke reached for her hand and held it in his own. "Because when I asked you to go to dinner with me at your party…that was totally me asking you on a date. Not as friends. Not as former colleagues. I wanted a chance to have a real date with you. With a nice restaurant and a bottle of wine…and even dessert for later."

"But…then…that means…"

Luke shrugged. "Yes Penelope…that means I like you. A lot. And I've gotta tell you…I think this is just the first date of many."

Penelope shook her head. "But.."

"Penelope… tell me the truth. When you were getting ready for this evening… were you getting a little nervous?"

"Well, yes but…"

"And yesterday…did you find yourself watching the clock and thinking about this evening?"

"Yes…but it was Friday and-"

"And have I given any impression- any at all- that I was looking for someone else this evening?"

Penelope shook her head silently, eyes still watching his intently.

"Or that I wasn't 100% interested in our conversation?"

"No, of course not."

Luke nodded. "But there is one thing I forgot to mention…and I really should have…even before we left your apartment."

Penelope frowned, thinking. "What was that?"

Luke leaned even closer and said, "I think you look absolutely gorgeous this evening Ms. Garcia."

Penelope smiled. "You…you do?"

"Mm hmm. In fact, I can't wait to see what dress you wear for our next date…which I'm hoping will be very soon."

Penelope felt her cheeks warm as they started to blush. She smiled even wider at Luke. He leaned back into his chair and took another sip of his wine, his dark brown eyes watching her over his glass.

"So…are you ready for dessert?"

"Dess- oh, I mean…I don't have to-"

Luke nodded and waived down their waiter. "I think we'd like dessert…but could we get that to go?" Penelope didn't hear him order…didn't even remember nodding at the two desserts he asked for her opinion. She simply nodded. Her mind was still reeling. Luke Alvez called her gorgeous. She was on a real date with Luke Alvez.

Penelope had been on dates before. Lots of them…. but none of her dates were as good looking as Luke. In fact, the last time she'd been to dinner with someone as hot as Luke was the last time Morgan had surprised her with a night on the town. And that was before he had started dating Savannah.

The waiter returned with Luke's credit card in a small padded leather folder and placed a small paper bag with handles on the table. "Here you are Mr. Alvez. Thank you for dining with us this evening. I hope you come back again soon. Enjoy your dessert." The waiter gave her a nod and a smile and then they were alone again. Luke stood up and stepped to help Penelope out of her chair.

"Shall we go back to your place and enjoy our desserts?"

Penelope, still speechless, nodded her head. She reached for the bag and felt Luke's warm hand on her back, guiding her to the entrance. Once outside, he nodded at the valet. He looked over and took off his suit jacket and placed it around Penelope's shoulders. "It's a little chillier now. Here."

Penelope grabbed the lapels and looked up at Luke. "Thank you." He smiled.

Garcia fumbled with the key. She finally managed to unlock the door and could hear the faint sounds of collar tags jingling like bells. As the door opened, Roxie came up to the door to greet them, her tail wagging. Garcia stepped inside and moved to the side to allow Luke to walk inside as well.

"Hey Rox. You've been behaving girl?" Luke reached down to rub Roxie between her ears. He looked over at Penelope, who was placing her keys and purse on the side table. "So you mind if I take Roxie outside really fast?"

"No, of course. Would…would you like some coffee? Or I have tea?"

Luke nodded. "Coffee sounds good, if you don't mind. Roxie and I will be back…just lock the door behind us and I'll knock when we're ready."

Garcia nodded and closed and locked the door behind the pair. She went into the kitchen and set up the coffee maker. She got out two mugs and pulled out the creamer. She walked back into her bedroom and looked in the mirror. "I'm on a date. A real date. With Luke Alvez."

Sergio meowed a hello at her from his position across her bed. "Yes, I know you knew that. But…I thought it was just as friends. Now it's just a little more…real."

Sergio yawned and twitched his tail, as if telling her he already knew that too. Garcia sighed and went into the bathroom to wash her hand. She smoothed her hair then walked back toward the kitchen. She took out the desserts and got a wooden tray and a couple of forks. The coffee maker beeped its completed cycle. Just as Garcia was folding the small bag the desserts had been in, she heard Luke's firm knock at the door.

As she opened the door, Roxie waited for Luke's permission to go inside. He gave the command and she walked into the kitchen. They could hear her getting a long drink of water. Luke grinned. "She had a little run outside. I think she likes that park behind the building."

Garcia nodded. "Yeah, we've been going there in the evenings when I get home. Lots of squirrels and rabbits around here…a few chipmunks too. I bet she enjoys all the different smells."

Luke nodded. "Let's hope they are quicker than Roxie. I wouldn't want her to actually catch one."

"Oh no", Garcia agreed. She led the way into the kitchen. "I have some creamer. Is it ok if we just sit in the living room to have our dessert?"

"That sounds great." Luke went to the sink and washed his hands. He then poured two cups of coffee and handed one to her. He waited while she added flavored creamer to hers and then added plain cream to his own. She put her coffee mug on the wooden tray and led the way to the living room. She placed the tray on the table and sat down on the couch. Luke sat next to her.

"So, what did you think of the restaurant?" Luke asked.

"Oh, it was delicious. I'm sorry I should have said so earlier."

Luke shook his head. "No, you're fine. I thought it was great, too. Maybe next time we should try the Moussaka."

Penelope smiled. Next time? "I've heard that's good."

"Me too. What other kinds of restaurants do you like?"

"Well, just about anything. I was vegetarian for a while…but now I just try to stick with chicken and fish. But I'm not a fan of sushi."

"I like some kinds…but I'm not a big raw fish fan either."

"I haven't tried any that didn't have raw fish."

"Well, there's California rolls…or some with tempura shrimp…or even just vegetable rolls."

"Maybe I should try one of those."

"I like the Japanese restaurants that have the hibachi as well as sushi on the menu…kind of hedge my bet a little that I will like it." Luke laughed.

Penelope nodded. "Good point."

She picked up the remote. "Would you like to watch something on TV?"

"Sure. How about a movie. You can pick. I'm up for anything except a cartoon."

Penelope frowned. "What's wrong with cartoons?"

Luke laughed and held his hands up in front of him. "Nothing. Just…pick something else for tonight."

"Well, I mean, I wasn't going to pick a cartoon…not that there's anything wrong with them."

Luke smiled and watched as she selected a movie…this one a romantic comedy. He sat back into the cushion as the movie started and placed his arm over the back of the couch. He smiled as Garcia sat back into the cushions as well.

Luke looked down and smiled. After they had shared their desserts – a chocolate cake with mousse and a piece of baklava loaded with nuts and honey- Garcia hadn't made it through the entire movie. She had fallen asleep and now was resting her head on his shoulder. His arm was wrapped around her shoulder, his hand on her waist. She had kicked off her heels and her legs were tucked beside her on the couch.

"Penelope." He whispered. "Hey, Garcia."

She muttered in her sleep and moved a little closer, her head now under his chin. He shook his head. It seemed like she was out for the count. He carefully extracted himself from her and stood up, stretching his arms over his head and moving his neck in a circle. He glanced over at Roxie, who was watching him from where she lay on the rug.

"I guess we should get going, huh?"

Roxie's ears twitched, but she didn't get up from her position.

Luke reached down and gently picked up Penelope from the couch. He held her close to him and walked back to her bedroom. Sergio woke up and quickly jumped off the bed and ran into the open closet. Luke gently laid Penelope down onto the bed and lifted a quilt from the footboard to lay over her. He gently removed the barrette from her hair and took off her glasses and set both on the nightstand beside her bed. He couldn't help himself. He gently rand his hand over her hair. So soft, he thought to himself.

Garcia murmured again and her eyes fluttered open. "Wha-" she started.

"Shh. It's ok. I'll lock up behind me. I'll talk to you tomorrow, ok?"

She nodded, still half asleep. Luke smiled and stroked her hair again. He leaned down and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you for a terrific first date Ms. Garcia. I'm looking forward to our next one."

Penelope nodded, already on her way back to her dreams. Luke stepped away and turned out the lamp beside her bed, then walked to the door.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

**Here is an update…I hope you like it. So, I have a question…when I started this fic I kept the rating at "M" for mature. How much "M" would you all like? I'd love to hear back…or send me a review letting me know what you think of the story so far. Have a great week. **

**BTW…funniest story I have heard this week? A student sent a teacher a message that he couldn't complete this week's online assignment because he "didn't know what YouTube was". Ummm…yeah, sure kid. This was posted on a teaching Facebook group page I joined. But the best was this comment back "Oh, come ON! Even my CATS know what YouTube is!" LOL. Just thought I would share for a laugh. Have a great week!**

Garcia felt the warmth on her face and blinked a few times as she woke. The morning sun was directly in her eyes. _Odd, I usually make sure to close the blinds. I must have forgotten._ She flipped off the throw blanket and sat up in her bed. She reached over for her glasses and looked down at herself. She was still in her dress from last night.

"Oh man! Really Garcia? You fell asleep on him?!" she muttered to herself. She shook her head in disbelief. Sergio jumped up onto her lap, purring and asking for some attention. "Yeah…you couldn't have done that to help wake me up last night, Serg?"

"Don't put your cereal bowl in the trash Henry!" JJ called as she reached over to fill her coffee cup one last time before she went to grab a quick shower while Will got the boys dressed for their trip to the park.

Her cell phone rang. She turned it over from where it was laying on the table. "Hey Luke. We have a case?"

"Hey JJ. No, no. Sorry to bother you on a Sunday…but I was hoping you were up."

"Yeah, of course. You know us…the boys have been up for a while…when the arguing gets too loud, Will and I know it's time to join them and fix breakfast."

Luke chuckled. "I'll have to remember that trick."

"So, what can I do for you?"  
"Well…it's about Garcia."

"Ookay…" JJ drawled. "What about her…wait…is she okay?"

"Oh, yeah, yeah, of course. It's just…well we went out last night."

"Yeah I know. She was excited. How was your dinner?"

"Great…I mean…the restaurant was amazing…but we had a little confusion in the middle of the evening."

"Confusion?"

"Yeah…Did…Look…I'm just going to ask... Did you tell Garcia that our dinner was just two friends going out for a bite to eat?"

"No…I mean… I know she was worrying about what to wear…and I tried to help calm her down. I said you had seen a lot of her outfits and it never affected your friendship…and I thought you'd be the same now. Why do you ask?"

Luke sighed. "She tried to be my wingman at one point…wanted me to introduce myself to some woman at the bar. "

JJ groaned. "Oh, Luke…no."

"Look…. I'm sharing this just so we're clear. I know you think of Garcia as a sister. But JJ, I really like her. A lot. Even before I started dating Lisa, I liked her. But she didn't want me to get anywhere near close to her…even as friends at first."

"Luke, I know. I'm so sorry. I never meant- "

"It's ok. I just wanted to make sure you knew where I was coming from. I'd really like to see where this will go."

JJ was quiet. "I hope you were able to get Garcia to understand the real deal."

"Yeah, I mean… it's Garcia…It's always taken a while for me to chip away at her armor. But I think she understands. We went back to her place and watched a movie."

"Aww…that's sounds nice."

"Yeah, it was. Look, I don't want to take up your entire Sunday morning. But if we can keep this chat- "

"Between us. Absolutely. And, Luke?"

"Yeah JJ?"

"You're good for her. Just keep trying. That armor only lasts for so long, you know."

Luke chuckled. "Yeah, I hope so. I mean…it took me a while for her to even talk to me at work, so…I can be patient."

They signed off and JJ put her phone in the back pocket of her jeans. She smiled, shaking her head, then headed off to find Will and the boys.

Luke and Roxie ran their usual circuit through the park and on one of the trails through the woods. Luke finally stopped, leaning against a tree. He whistled loudly and Roxy turned around from where she was ahead of him and ran back to him.

Luke shook his head. "Such a show off." He laughed and opened a canteen of water that had been attached to his belt and took a deep brink, then offered the rest to Roxy. The park had a fountain at the other end of the trail he could refill and get Roxy another drink, and he had another container of water in his SUV.

"So…What did you think about the date last night Rox?" The Belgian Malinois looked up at him, panting.

"Yeah. Me too. I think she had fun."

Roxie barked once, wagging her tail. "Yeah…she does smells good, doesn't she?" Luke rolled his eyes. Yes, he was assuming the dog could talk…but really, talking to Roxie helped him to clear his own mind.

"You know what? I think it's time to start showing Ms. Garcia just how serious I am about dating her. C'mon Rox. Let's go…I want to get dinner started."

Garcia pushed her cart around the produce section of the grocery store. The store was busy with Sunday afternoon traffic…everyone trying to stock up for the work week or getting ready for kid's lunches.

She walked over to the apples. _Hmmm…apple crisp sounds good…maybe I can splurge and make that to have for dessert this week_, she thought to herself. She tried to make a shopping list and stick to it…but sometimes she just couldn't help herself.

Her phone started its cheerful ringtone. She looked down. Luke. _Oh, man_. She wondered when she would hear from him.

"Hey"

"Hey Penelope. How's your Sunday going?"

"Pretty good. I'm just out grocery shopping. You?"

"Rox and I went for a run. I went shopping yesterday morning. I wanted to have Roxie's food here for her when she came home. Do you need me to call back later so you can finish shopping?"

"Oh, no. You're fine…I mean…I can shop and talk at the same time."

"Oh, good. So…"

"So."

"I wanted to-"

"Luke, I just-" They both started at the same time. They laughed. Luke said "Go Ahead. "

Penelope took a deep breath. "I just wanted to say I'm sorry for falling asleep on you last night. I really did have a nice time."

Luke chuckled. "So did I. And, really…no worries. You'd had a long week at work, I know. And, honestly? It was nice to be able to sit and relax with you."

Penelope smiled. "Well, thank you for helping me get to bed."

Luke paused. "Well…I'm sure it was more comfortable than spending the night on the couch."

"Oh, I don't know…I was comfy enough to fall asleep on the couch. I would have managed."

Luke thought back to how she had curled into him on the couch…his arm wrapped around her shoulder and her head resting on his chest.

"So, I was calling with an invitation."

"An invitation? Is there a party?"

"No, no party. But Roxie and I wanted to invite you to dinner tonight."

"Oh, really?"

"Yes Penelope…really. Would six thirty be okay? Does that give you time to get all your errands done?"

Garcia glanced at her watch. "Yes…that sounds great. Can I bring anything?"

"No…I think Roxie and I have everything we need. I'm doing the heavy work and she is supervising."

Garcia laughed. "Okay, then…I will leave you two to your designated jobs then."

Luke chuckled. "Sounds good. I'll see you soon then."

Penelope signed off and slipped her phone back into her purse. She smiled brightly as she pushed her cart toward the meat counter…looking forward to dinner and another evening with SSA Alvez.

Luke pulled the hot casserole dish from the oven, crimped a piece of foil over the top and adjusted the temperature for the oven. He washed his hands and dried them on the hand towel hanging on the dishwasher. When he finished, he went to the table and checked that he had everything set. The salads were in the fridge…the garlic bread ready to slide in the oven. It could be baking while they enjoyed the salad and then bring out with the main dish.

He glanced down and saw Roxie was already laying down, watching him from her position in the living room. She'd already had her dinner and evening walk outside. "I see you have found your front row seat for the evening." Luke told her, smiling. Her tail wagged a few times.

The doorbell rang.

Luke went to open the door.

"Hey" he smiled widely. "Come on in."

Garcia smiled lit up the room. She was in heels, a pair of jeans and some kind of sparkly flowing top. He didn't know what it was called, but he knew she looked like sunshine and happiness when she walked inside.

"Oh my gosh! That amazing smell was coming from your apartment?"

Luke shook his head. "You know…I always get the bum rap when it comes to cooking. I mean, I don't cook a lot when it's just me and Roxie, but I have learned a couple of dishes here and there."

Garcia looked up at him. "Well, I must admit I'm pleasantly surprised. I've tried your coffee at the BAU…I wasn't sure what dinner would be like when you invited me. I do like your apron though."

"What? Look…I made one pot of coffee a little too strong. Besides, now that Rossi got us that single cup machine it's almost impossible to mess it up." He reached around to untie the apron. "I forgot I had it on."

Garcia laughed. "I think he did that because he hates making coffee the old way and was tired of being subjected to whatever everyone else tried to put together."

Luke led the way to the table. Garcia held out the slim gift bag she had been carrying. "You didn't have to bring anything."

"I know…but it's traditional. And I'm nothing if not conventional."

Luke smiled and stepped a little closer to her. "There is nothing conventional about you Ms. Garcia. You are definitely one of a kind."

The stared at each other, almost touching. Finally, Penelope blinked and looked down. "Well…see if you like it."

Luke looked down and reached into the bag. He pulled out a bottle of wine. "This is perfect. I haven't tried this one yet."

Penelope nodded. "I know you like reds…I hope this goes well with dinner."

Luke looked at Penelope. "Hmm…I think I prefer blondes. But this will be perfect. Thank you."

He leaned down and gave Penelope a quick kiss on the cheek. She held her breath. He stepped back and took the bottle of wine to the table, then turned to go into the kitchen.

"I have everything ready. I hope you're in the mood for Italian."

Garcia touched her cheek where he had kiss her. Maybe if she did that, she could hold in the heat from his mouth there for just a little longer. She shook her head to clear it and turned to follow him into the kitchen.

"I made lasagna, salads and there is a fresh loaf of bread waiting to go in the oven."

"Oh, my goodness! You made lasagna?"

"Yeah, well, I tried to tempt you once before with my cooking skills…now this time I'm hoping you'll actually try it."

Garcia smiled, remembering one of their elevator lobby conversations…well…Luke had been trying to spark up a conversation…but she had been trying to do her best to ignore him. She thought if she didn't get close she wouldn't be as hurt when he left. Or maybe she just didn't think she could have as much fun at work as she had with Morgan. Or she had just been stubborn. Who knew? It was a very fine line.

"It sounds delicious. Can I help with anything?"

Luke pointed to the fridge. "If you want to grab the two salad from the top shelf in there, I will open up our wine. I have a bottle of dressing there on the door as well."

Garcia opened the refrigerator and found the salads and the dressing. She brought them to the table. Luke placed the bottle of wine on the table and held out her chair for her. They sat down and Luke reached over to fill her wine glass.

"Thank you. What kind of dressing is this?"

"it's the house dressing at a local pizza place around the corner. They actually bottle and sell it. It's kind of a balsamic vinaigrette with extra herbs and parmesan cheese. I have a couple of other types of dressing if you'd rather have one of them."

"No, no. This looks great."

They started eating and Penelope enjoyed the crisp salad and the delicious dressing. As they finished, Luke got up and took their salad bowls into the kitchen. He pulled the bread from the oven and put it in a basket. Then he went back to bring the lasagna casserole dish out and placed it on a wooden trivet in the middle of the table.

"You're pretty domestic for a bachelor." Garcia commented, nodding at the basket and trivet.

"You can thank my mom. When she comes to visit, anything I don't have that she thinks she needs at her house, we go out and buy. I pay the bill, but she does all of the choosing."

"Aww…so it's kind of like she's helping you remember home."

"Exactly. But the past few years, I've tried to go visit her or I take her out to dinner when she comes here. It saves me from going to **Bath, Bed & More** stores around the city."

He used the spatula to cut into the lasagna and place it on a plate and handed it to Garcia. She waited until he had served himself, then took a small bite. "Mm…this is so good."

Luke smiled. "Good. Please…have some bread."

They talked throughout the meal, just enjoying each other's company. Luke was so easy to talk to, Garcia thought. She lost track of time as they enjoyed their wine. Finally, Luke stood up from the table.

"Just let me put the dishes in the kitchen and I'll take care of them later"

"No no no…you cooked. The least I can do is help with the dishes."

"It's really not necessary."

"I insist."

She took the bread and their empty wine glasses into the kitchen. Luke followed. "There are resealable bags in that cabinet. I'll take care of the lasagna." He pulled out a few plastic containers and went back to the table to bring the casserole dish into the kitchen.

She opened the dishwasher and started rinsing off plates as he portioned out the lasagna. He put a couple into the freezer, and two others he placed in the refrigerator. He reached for the basket and then tried to put it in the small top cabinet over the dishwasher, leaning over as Garcia straightened up from where she had been sliding the rack back into the machine. "Sorry…excuse me." Luke said as he finished reaching up, leaning into her slightly.

Garcia breathed in…she could smell Luke's cologne and the faint smell of some kind of soap …some kind of fresh and woodsy scent. It reminded her a little of the bar soap her dad had always used. Sometime when she was in the aisle at the store with all of the soaps and shampoo, she would grab a package of that particular brand and try to imagine her dad standing there beside her. Yeah, she probably looked crazy, but it helped her to remember happy times with her dad.

"No problem," she said softly.

Luke flashed her a smile and turned to finish rinsing out the casserole dish. She walked back to the table to see if anything else needed to be brought back to the kitchen. She turned as Luke walked back out of the kitchen.

"Would you like some coffee? Tea?"

"No, I think I'm still too full from dinner."

Luke led the way over to the couch in the living room. "We could watch something on TV if you want. It's still pretty early."

"Hmmm...only if you shake me if I start to nod off this time. Actually, I can stay a little while longer, but I need to get home before too long. I have an early day tomorrow."

Luke nodded. He reached over to the ottoman and picked up a remote. "Have you seen this new show yet?"

He started a new episode of a popular reality show. It wasn't necessarily his cup of tea, but he knew Penelope liked shows like this. This one was some kind of celebrity dancing competition.

"Oh! I love this show!"

Luke smiled and leaned back into the couch, his arm resting on the back, much like the position he had started in last night. Tonight, however, Penelope sat a little closer to him on the couch.

They watched the show, laughing at some of the antics of the contestants and enjoying the song selections. As the show finished, Garcia noticed his arm was resting on her shoulder. She hadn't paid attention, but she felt comfortable. She glanced at her watch.

"I hate to leave, but I should go."

Luke turned off the television and stood up with Garcia. "Well, thank you for coming over."

"No, thank you…and Roxie. It was delicious." She reached down to pet Roxie. Luke smiled. "Oh, I have something for you." He jogged back into the kitchen, then came back with the same gift bag Garcia had brought. "Leftovers for you. Maybe you can have it for lunch or dinner tomorrow."

"Aww…thank you. You didn't have to do that."

Luke shrugged. "Lasagna always makes so much. I usually freeze some of the leftovers to have another week…but there was plenty to share."

She stepped closer and gave Luke a hug. "That's very thoughtful of you."

Luke hugged her back, but when she'd pull away and step back, he held her close. "I'm a thoughtful kind of guy you know. But there's one more thing."

"Wh-What?"

"Well, last night ended a little early. But…" He leaned down slowly. She could have pulled away if she wanted. But she really didn't want to. He brushed his lips over hers, then pressed her more firmly in his embrace. She sighed as he broke away, but then he kissed her again. Heat rushed to her cheeks. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him even closer. The hair from his beard and mustache tickled her face. Electricity sparked between them as they held each other.

Luke finally pulled back, looking into Garcia's eyes, watching them carefully. "I hope that wasn't too soon…but I couldn't resist."

She was speechless. She shook her head, eyes wide and watching him. Luke smiled. "Let me walk you to your car." He grabbed his keys and kept his hand on her back as he led her out the door and followed her down the stairs. When they reached the landing, his hand returned to her back, which seemed to be a favorite spot. She reached into her pocket for her keys and he waited while she opened the door. She turned around. "Th=Thank you. For dinner I mean. Well, and-"

Luke shook his head. "You're welcome. It was my pleasure. I hope we can get together again soon."

Penelope nodded. Luke leaned closed and gave her another soft kiss on the lips. She moaned a little this time. If she could, she'd stay right where she was and enjoy more of his soft caresses. Luke finally pulled back. "You better head home. Send me a text when you get there? Just so I know you got home safely."

Penelope nodded and got into her car. Luke closed the door once she was settled and waited until she reached over to set the lock on the door. She put the key into the ignition and the sound of Ester's engine sounded in the quiet evening air. Luke stepped back onto the sidewalk and watched as Garcia pulled away. She glanced in her review mirror and saw him still watching her, waiting until she passed the stop sign before turning and heading back inside.

She reached up and touched her lips. "Oh, my," she whispered to herself.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Luke whistled as he walked out of the elevator and into the glass doors leading to the bullpen of the BAU. He glanced up to the balcony and saw Prentiss and Rossi talking in his office. He put his go bag in the bottom drawer of his desk and jogged up the stairs.

"Hey Rossi, Prentiss. How was your weekend?"

"It was good. I got a late flight back yesterday from Denver. Nice to have a couple of days to spend with Andrew and Keely."

"And you…How was your date this weekend." Rossi asked with a wink.

"Wait…date? With whom?" asked Emily.

Luke chuckled and shook his head at Rossi. "Garcia and I had that dinner date this weekend,"

"Aww! I forgot! How did it go? Where did you go?"

"It was great. We checked out that Greek restaurant JJ recommended. And last night I invited her over for lasagna."

"Whoa! Two dates in one weekend?" Prentiss exclaimed.

Luke shrugged. "Like I said…it was nice. We had fun. Besides, it took me a long time to get her to agree to going out at all. I figured why not go for broke and try for two meals in a row."

"Ah…Non c'è niente di più romantic del cibo Italiano." Prentiss and Luke looked at Rossi and he translated. "There is nothing more romantic than Italian food."

They laughed. JJ walked in right at that moment. "I hate to break up the fun, but we've got a new case."

Garcia heard her phone beep with a new message. She finished typing the information for the search she was running on her computer and then picked up the phone. It was from Luke.

She felt her cheeks flush at the thought of the end of their evening last night. She quickly opened up the message screen and read his note.

"_Hey, just letting you know we've got a new case. Heading to the jet now. I'll try to call you when I can. I had a great time this weekend. Looking forward to seeing you again soon."_

Garcia quickly started a reply, but stopped, thinking. _"It was an amazing weekend…I can't wait to see you again. And kiss you again. Why didn't I know how amazing you were at that before? I mean, I knew you were-"_ "No, no, no," she muttered as she quickly deleted her message.

"Must be something good. You didn't even hear me knock," Andrew said as he placed a file on her desk.

"Oh, I'm sorry…give me just a minute."

"Take your time. I'm going to grab a cup of coffee…can I bring you something?"

"Oh, hot water if you don't mind. I've got tea here. Thank you."

OK Garcia…this is Luke. Just reply like you would talk to him.

"_Safe travels. Talk to you soon."_

She pressed send before she could change her mind.

Luke felt his phone vibrate with an incoming message. He sat down in the plush seat on the jet and pulled his phone out and checked. He smiled seeing it was from Penelope. He read the short message.

"Everything okay?" JJ asked, sitting down across from him.

"Yeah. I sent Garcia a message letting her know we were headed to a case. She just said to travel safely, and she'd talk to me soon."

JJ watched him. "You said you guys cleared everything up from Saturday, right?"

"Yeah, yeah."

"Maybe she's just unsure of what to type. PG is always more animated in person or on the phone, you know?"

Luke nodded, thinking. "Yeah, I'm sure that's it."

He typed back a reply and then powered down his phone, preparing for their take off.

Ding!

Garcia gave her phone the side eye as she typed. She stopped, then found herself grabbing the pen from her desk and biting on the cap.

"Stop it Garcia." She threw the pen back down onto her desk and picked up the phone.

_I can't remember the last weekend that I enjoyed as much as I did with you. I'll talk to you soon Chica._

Garcia felt herself smile.

Twelve Days later

Luke pushed the button for the elevator and waited for the doors to open.

Simson walked up beside him. "Hey brother. You doin' okay?"

Luke nodded. "Yeah. Just tired. You?"

Matt shook his head. "I hear you. I'm going to call home then try to grab some sleep. I think Prentiss is going to have us head to the penitentiary tomorrow to try and get DeAngelo to talk to us."

"Got it. I'll meet you back down here at 6:30."

The elevator arrived in the lobby and both men walked inside. Luke hit Matt's floor and his own.

"So, have you talked to Garcia lately?"

"We've been texting but no, not really. By the time we get back here it's usually too late to call. She's got regular hours now."

Matt nodded. "Yeah, so does Kristy. But she tells me it doesn't matter what time. Getting hear from me helps her rest better. And she can pass messages back and forth between the kids and me."

Luke looked over at Matt. "It's probably a little different. I mean, it's not like we're married, you know. We barely just started dating."

Matt smiled. "True. But…you said so earlier this year…we're family. She's probably feeling even more out of it since she knows what we face and she's not there to help…or monitor us. Text her and see if she's up."

The elevator dinged its arrival to his floor. Luke nodded. "Yeah, okay. I'll see. See you in the morning."

Luke stepped out of the elevator and headed down the hall to his room. He swiped his keycard and locked the door behind him. He placed his bag on the small kitchenette table and kicked off his boots before laying on the bed. He picked up his cellphone and stared at the blank screen. Finally he turned it on and went to text messaging.

_Hey you up?_

He saw the message delivered and quickly three little dots started blinking on the screen.

_Yes. How are you? Are you back in DC?_

_No, not yet. Just wanted to check in on you._

He saw the three little dots appear on his screen again. They blinked on and off, but after a minute they disappeared.

His phone started buzzing. She was calling him.

"Hey. You didn't have to call."

"Well, I wanted to hear…I mean I just wanted to check and make sure you were okay."

Luke smiled. "I'm fine. This has been a long case."

"You've been gone a long time. Almost two weeks."

"Yeah. This unsub is smart."

"You guys are smarter."

"You know it. So, how have you been?"

"I-I'm good. I mean, it's been pretty quiet, but work has been busy."

"You stay busy."

"Yeah, well…it helps when you are on a case. I mean…when the team…the BAU team is gone. I mean…you guys are my family…my friends…I worry about you when you're gone."

"I know Chica. I know. But we're fine. You know Prentiss…everything by the book."

Penelope barked a quick laugh. "Yeah…until it's not. But I know what you mean."

"Hey," he said softly, "I mean it. We're fine. We'll catch this unsub and be back soon."

Penelope was quiet for a moment. "So, I went over to see Roxy the other day."

"Yeah? I bet she was excited to see you."

"I think so. I took a new frisbee and some strawberries to share with her."

"Ahh…bribing her, huh?"

"She deserved a little treat."

"I'm sure she loved them. Just not too many, ok?"

"I'm nothing if not the queen of moderation Mr. Alvez."

"Oh I know…I know. How many desk unicorns do you have now?" he teased.

"Eighteen, not including my new coffee mug. Completely reasonable."

Luke laughed. "Of course. Silly me."

Garcia laughed with him. "I-I've missed you, you know," she admitted quietly.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"Well the feeling is mutual Ms. Garcia. I'm looking forward to heading back to DC as soon as we can." Luke couldn't help himself and yawned.

"I'm sorry. Simmons and I worked surveillance last night and we've been running around today following leads."

"No…I understand. Go and get some rest. I don't want you to be sleep deprived."

Luke grinned. "Well, sometimes losing out on a little sleep isn't necessarily a bad thing."

"Not when you're chasing down a bad guy SSA Alvez."

"Understood. I'll call you again soon, yeah?"

"I hope so. Take care."

"I will. I'll see you soon Penelope."

"Night."

Four days later

Luke stretched his legs in front of him, trying to get comfortable in the BAU jet. He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up, seeing Rossi holding out a drink.

He reached for the glass. "Thanks."

"You've earned it. That was good work back there. The unsub would have gotten away if you hadn't had that tip from D'Angelo."

"Yeah, well, I'm sure D'Angelo wasn't happy to find out he helped us…or that he lost out on his great idea to blackmail us for less jail time."

"They never do", agreed Rossi. "So, does Penelope know you're headed back?"

"No, I thought I'd give her a call tonight and let her know."

Rossi nodded. "You know I'm not the best guy to give advice on relationships…" Rossi sat down across from Luke, leaning back and watching the younger man.

"But?"

"Well…Getting a second chance with Krystall and finding out about Joy and Kai…I feel like I can say this: Don't put it off Luke."

"I know."

"No, I mean it. We say we know how precious time is, but I think in our jobs we don't really follow through. It's easy to focus on the bad guys…catching the next unsub and putting out lives on hold."

Rossi leaned in a little closer. "Penelope is special."

"Yeah, she is. I know that."

"Yeah, I know you do…but…do me a favor? Make sure she knows how you feel. I know you two have been friends for a while…and she didn't make it easy for you to get to know her."

"No, she did not. But I know that was just a defense mechanism to try to protect herself."

"Yes, it was. But she deserves the fairy tale. Penelope had to deal with too much of the dark side when she was part of this team…things and pictures she can't just forget about now that she isn't here with us."

"Rossi…we've had two dates…maybe three, if you count picking up Roxy from the sitter. I don't think we're ready for the wedding bells just yet."

"No, I know. When I say fairy tale, that's not what I mean. She deserves to know she is special…and not just unique. That she's cared for. And if you can't give that to her…maybe it's best if you don't start something you can't see through."

Rossi stood and walked to the back to of jet, leaving Luke to think about what he'd said.

_***Sorry this update took a little longer to post. I'll try to get the next installment posted soon. Getting some reviews and hearing from you would help my muse though. She's a needy thing and craves feedback. LOL**_


	11. Chapter 11

_**Thank you for the great reviews. I've been missing CM a lot recently…It's still a go to show when there's nothing else worth watching or I'm taking a break from reading.**_ _**Hope you enjoy the next chapter. **_

Garcia got out of the shower and wrapped her hair in a towel before putting on her comfy robe. She leaned over the sink and picked up the hand towel hanging beside the mirror to wipe off the steam covering it.

She opened the wall cabinet and got her jar of face moisturizer. She rubbed in the moisturizer and then rubbed the remaining over her hands. She slid on her glasses and stepped out of the bathroom and then walked into the kitchen. She turned on the kettle and prepared her mug for some herbal tea. The kettle soon whistled it was ready and she turned off the burner and carefully pour the hot water into her mug.

She carried her drink into the living room where she had left her laptop. She closed the screen and sat on the couch, pull on the throw over her legs. Sergio meowed loudly and jumped up on the couch, curling up beside her.

Garcia grabbed the remote and turned on the television. She took another sip of her tea. She was just leaning over to put the mug on the side table when there was a knock on her door.

"What in the world?", she muttered to herself. She threw the blanket over the arm of the couch and walked over to the door. She put her hand on the handle but checked the peep hole first.

"Oh my stars!" She quickly unlocked the door and threw it open. "What…Luke! What happened to you?"

Luke smiled and held out his hands. "It's fine. Really. I'm fine. Just a little banged up, that's all."

"Fine? FINE?!", she yelled. She saw the light go on under the door for Mrs. O'Halligan. "Get in here Luke Alvez!" she stage whispered, keeping an eye on the neighbor's door. She stepped back and then pushed him toward the couch. He dropped the go bag he had been carrying and sank into the overstuffed cushions.

"Ok, OK…I'm going. I'm going. Look, we got in about an hour ago and I wanted to see you. Really, I'm fine."

Garcia stood besides the couch, her arms on her hips and a scowl on her face.

"Luke! You have a black eye, stiches and your hand is bandaged. Call me crazy, but that is the very definition of 'not fine'!" She sighed. "Wait here."

Luke sat back on the couch and closed his eyes. His head was hurting, but he wasn't about to tell Garcia that. He really had wanted to see her…he just didn't want to go back to his apartment to the silence. It was too late to get Roxie and he…just wanted to be close to someone.

Garcia came back in with a first aid kit and a plastic bag. "Here." She thrust the bag into his hand. He looked down and saw it was a bag of frozen peas. "Thanks." He put the bag up against his eye. He had been treated by paramedics, but the cold felt good on his heated skin.

Garcia sat on the coffee table in front of him. "Lean forward." He did, then yelped in pain! "Ouch! Hey! Warn a guy!"

Garcia threw the bandage she had just ripped off onto the table beside her and reached for the kit. She opened up the bag and found a packet containing an antiseptic wipe. She opened up the envelope and leaned forward to clean the wound. "You have stiches," she said in an accusatory tone.

"Yeah, I know. I was there when they put them in." Luke said sarcastically.

"Shut up. You still bled through the bandage."

"The medic said it might do that, but he thought the stiches would be enough. I'll be okay." He winced as the antiseptic stung. He heard the rip of the bandage packaging. Garcia placed the bandage over the stiches. She zipped up the first aid kit and tossed it onto the table beside the couch. She finally looked Luke in the eyes. Tears started to well up in her own.

"Hey! Come here." Luke set aside the frozen vegetables and pulled her into his lap. He wrapped his arms around her, careful of the bandages on his left hand. "Penelope. I'm here. I'm really okay. I was checked out by paramedics. I promise."

Garcia tucked her face into his neck, holding him tightly. "You are not fine. You're hurt. What happened?"

Luke sighed. "We caught a break and went in for the unsub. He had a hidey hole and surprised us. He hit me over the head with a baseball bat and I fell down a flight of stairs. But I got up and wrestled him to the ground. Matt came up behind me and we were able to get the guy in cuffs and arrested him."

Penelope lifted her head up. "And you didn't think about letting me know?"

"We were anxious to get back home and- ", Luke took in a deep breath. "Ok, I knew you wouldn't be happy, so I decided to tell you in person. But then I was heading home and just didn't want to face going home alone."

Garcia watched his face. Luke stared back. "Really, Chica. I'm okay."

Garcia slapped her hand on his shoulder. "Don't you ever. Do. That. Again!" She punctuated each word with an additional hit to his shoulder.

"Ow! Oof! Garcia!"

"Don't you 'Garcia' me! You show up here in the middle of the night bruised, bandaged and banged up and you didn't think I'd want to know?"

Luke grabbed her hands to protect himself. "I am here. I'll be okay. I just wanted to see you."

Garcia shook her head. "I don't like this."

"Oh." Luke released her hands and leaned back to give her some more room. "I'm sorry. I …guess I should have called to make sure it was okay if I came over. I mean…I can go. I'm sorry. Really. If you don't want to see me anymore, I guess I can understand. I mean, that's part of why you left-"

Garcia wrapped her hands around Luke's head and kissed him. She felts the tickle of his dark curls at the back of his head against her fingers. She leaned back to try and catch her breath, then gasped when Luke followed, his lips capturing hers again. He deepened the kiss, angling his lips over hers and gently sliding his tongue into her mouth, stoking her own. He heard her moan and smiled a little. His hands slowly moved on their own up her. The robe she wore was soft and fuzzy, but he could feel her underneath.

They finally ended the kiss, foreheads touching and both breathing in deep breaths. "What I meant was I don't like seeing you hurt. And not knowing about it."

Luke nodded. "So, if I get hurt you want to know about it?"

Garcia nodded, still not looking up at him. "I—I used to at least know when something had happened. If I needed to call for an ambulance…or meet the team at the hospital I knew. I just…I knew."

Luke moved one hand to her chin and used his finger to lift her face up to look into her eyes. "But you aren't doing that anymore. And that doesn't mean we don't still need you. But…look, if you want to know when I get hurt, I'll make sure to let you know from now on, okay?"

Garcia hit him on the shoulder again.

"Oof!"

"You are going to do everything to NOT get hurt Luke Alvez!"

He rubbed his shoulder. "Yes ma'am. Now can you please stop hitting me? I'm still a little banged up from the stairs."

Garcia shook her head. She stood up, reached over to the side table and picked up her mug. She walked into the kitchen again. Luke heard her banging things and eventually heard the kettle whistle. She came back with two mugs steaming. She held one out to him. He reached out for it. "Thank you. Tea?"

"Of course. It's too late for coffee." She reached into the pocket of her robe and them handed Luke two small white pills. "Did you already take anything for the pain?"

He shook his head. "It's been seven or eight hours, so I should be able to take these. Thank you, Penelope."

She sat down next to him on the couch. "You're welcome," she answered primly. Luke smiled. He knew when she was pretending to be prim and proper, but Garcia couldn't keep her emotions to herself for very long. He reached over and pulled on her arm, so she was leaning up against him. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

"So…did you miss me?"

Garcia nodded against his shoulder. "Yes."

Luke tightened his embrace. "Me too. I got you something though."

Garcia lifted her head so she could look Luke in the eye. "Oh yeah?"

Luke chuckled. He removed his arm and bent over so he could reach his go bag. He pulled out a brown paper bag. "Sorry, I didn't have a chance to get it wrapped."

"This is perfect! What is it?" Garcia excitedly unfolded the top of the bag and reached inside. She pulled out a pink sparkly stapler with a unicorn head on the top. "Oh my goodness!"

"I saw it and thought it was made just for you…unicorns, glitter, pink and a stapler all put together."

"I love it!"

Luke smiled as he watched her turn it over and admire her newest desk addition. She looked up and reached over to pull him in for a hug.

"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"

"You're welcome. I'm glad you like it. Does this mean I'm forgiven?"

Garcia pushed him away. "No…but…you're a little closer." She grinned.


End file.
